MMORPG vs Telepresence

[Alpha_Geek]

Differences? Similarities? Your experiences with one or both and the contrast between?

Are MMORPGs training some of us for for jobs manipulating ROVs, space probes, and the like?

Discuss!

 

[CuttingEdge100]

What's Telepresence?

 

[Jadzia]

I think AG is talking about remote control of technology through some kind of virtual interface. I think he's considering the idea that MMORPGs provide a virtual environment where a team of people can interact with the same in-game elements.

Navigating your character through that game environment is not too different from a team of scientists remotely controlling a group of robots to work together on a construction project of some kind.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

What Jadzia said, sort of. Currently telepresence can be someone operating a ROV on the ocean floor while sitting in a ship, or a newer example are remotely operated "robots" (it it's not autonomous, it's not a real robot imo) with 2 way video used by hospitals and smaller medical facilities to allow doctors to "move around" a remote facility and consult with patients.

I actively play 1 MMORPG, which is currently offline for upgrades. The MMORPG concept got me thinking about the similarities between the two technologies, though.

 

[Jadzia]

I believe some (medical) surgery has been done this way too. Delicate tissue like the brain isn't forgiving of human error. Robots armed with microscopic cameras can be remotely controlled by the surgeons from an adjoining room to cut tissue with much more precision than their hands can... say down to micrometer scales. That's not to say the robots have free reign in the operations... yet.

 

[ChristopherPike]

What's Telepresence?

It only features in one of my favourite Enterprise storyarcs, starting with Babel One.

As I understand it, the Aenar - pale cousins of the Andorians, are in short supply.



Seriously... what's MMORPG? Somekind of role-playing anachronym?

 

[FordSVT]

Massively Multiplayer Online. There are MMORPGs (role playing games) and MMOFPSs (first person shooters) for example.

Though the topic really doesn't require us to contrast telepresence with MMOs; any cooperative video game would do, it's only an issue of scale. I guess the key piece of the OPs thinking would not be simply working remote devices but working with other people who are also operating such devices? Video games in general help prepare people to operate remote devices, it's why the US Department of Defense has consulted children and young adults who play games when developing their UAV systems.

 

[Manticore]

Massively Multiplayer Online. There are MMORPGs (role playing games) and MMOFPSs (first person shooters) for example.

World of Warcraft is an example of the former.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Entropia Universe is another. They upgraded this week to Cryengine 2. The quality of the graphics started me thinking about the line between telepresence and virtual avatars is getting a little blurry, at least in my mind.