[From The Sport Blog of The Guardian]

[Image: Technology is being developed that will make TV viewers feel like they are watching matches from the stands. Photograph: Stephen Pond/Empics]

Fantasy football is about to become reality with immersion technology

The Premier League is in talks to develop an Avatar-style viewing experience that makes it feel like you are watching a top-flight game live from the stands

Dominic Fifield
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 2 August 2011

The Premier League’s desire to innovate is about to become a virtual reality. English football’s elite division has long prided itself on an ability to refresh the brand the top-flight game has become but, where attempts to introduce a 39th game to be farmed out around the globe have died a death, now the EPL experience is to become truly interactive. Apparently coming to a television screen near you: The Premier League, Avatar-style.… read more. “English Premier League to use ‘immersive technology’ to create real-time remote viewing of football as if from stands”

[From the University of Maryland Newsdesk, where the story includes more images and a 2:15 minute video]

[Image: Harsha Agashe, a Ph.D. student in Contreras-Vidal’s lab wears the Brain Cap, a non-invasive, sensor-lined cap with neural interface software. Photo Credit – John Consoli, University of Maryland]

UMD Brain Cap Technology Turns Thought into Motion

Mind-machine interface could lead to new life-changing technologies for millions of people

For Immediate Release
July 27, 2011
Contacts: Lee Tune, 301 405 4679 or ltune@umd.edu

College Park, Md. – “Brain cap” technology being developed at the University of Maryland allows users to turn their thoughts into motion. Associate Professor of Kinesiology José ‘Pepe’ L. Contreras-Vidal and his team have created a non-invasive, sensor-lined cap with neural interface software that soon could be used to control computers, robotic prosthetic limbs, motorized wheelchairs and even digital avatars.… read more. “Brain cap technology turns thought into motion to control computers, robotic limbs, wheelchairs, digital avatars”

[From BBC News, where the story includes a 3:00 minute video]

When the home help is a robot

By Mark Ward Technology correspondent, BBC News, Istanbul
3 July 2011

In the future, we will have robots in our homes. They will do all the dirty and boring jobs that we don’t want to do because we’ve got better things to do such as sip cocktails or play with our children.

Or at least that’s what many films, novels and media articles have promised. Reality is taking some time to catch up. So far, the only domestic robots enjoying significant success are toys or, in a distant second place, those that vacuum the floor.

Intelligent machines that can greet our guests, serve drinks and do the laundry are still the stuff of science fiction.

But progress is being made.

Home work

Some of that progress was on display at the 2011 RoboCup.… read more. “RoboCup@Home 2011: When the home help is a robot”