Virtual reality project aims to simulate Iron Man's flight

Want to know what it feels like to fly a physics-defying exoskeleton? A project by Feng-GUI CEO, Rafael Mizrahi, and others, aims to do just that, and while their construction isn't a bleeding-edge, nano-engineered superweapon, it's a neat exploration of immersive digital experiences.

The device consists of a hang glider harness attached to a small crane, with UAV wings acting as the "flier's" wings and providing natural control of pitch and roll. With the help of virtual reality goggles, a Wiimote, Google Flight Simulator, and a few other components, the setup transforms its participant into a bird, or - with some geek imagination -Iron Man, gliding high above the earth.

Rafael Mizrahi is a member of Garage Geeks, an Israel-based collective of techno-creatives which is responsible for such projects as TwitShitters, WiiMan SuperHero, and a sculpture of a dove that poops Dove soap on people who walk under it. This is an organization we can get behind. Mizrahi's company site contains overviews of several other collaborative research projects, including a Guitar Hero playing robot and a Tron Frisbee controller.

All cool, but we want to try the Iron Man simulator. How do you get to... let's see... Holon Industrial Zone, Israel? Is it walkable?

Jun 1, 2010