The Virtual Raft Project: bridging the virtual and physical worlds

A team of (very) talented UC Irvine students and faculty (who spent a little too much time in the Black Rock Desert) have a created the Virtual Raft Project – a group of "social autonomous characters" that bridge the ether between the virtual and physical worlds. Inspired in part by
Tamagotchi toys, the characters are transported between islands (desktop PCs) by "jumping" on rafts (tablet PCs) that humans carry across the ocean (beer stained college lab floors). The tablets are fitted with two-axis accelerometers causing the characters to balance in harmony with tablet movement. The video
caused a few of us to audibly convulse in Burning Man mumblings about furry-bunny-bicycles and bleached-steer-carcasses, so please...remove your belt and bite down firmly before viewing.

[Via We make money not art]