All the fun of the fair

PA 55/09 Scientists from The University of Nottingham will bring the thrill of the fairground ride to a major science event in London. Visitors will have a unique opportunity to control a fairground attraction and alter the level of thrill it provides. By controlling the ride — a bucking bronco-style giant egg — they will be able to base their decisions on exactly how a performer riding the egg is feeling from moment to moment. The exhibit will be one of the main attractions at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) showcase event 'Pioneers 09', which is being held on Wednesday March 4 2009 at the Olympia Conference Centre in London. The exhibit publicises the work of an EPSRC-funded feasibility study being led by Steve Benford, Professor of Collaborative Computing and head of the School of Computer Science at The University of Nottingham. Wireless biosensors will gather and transmit continuous data, including the rider's heart rate, supplemented by close-up video shots of facial expressions supplied by a helmet-mounted camera. With all this information displayed on a large plasma screen, visitors will be able to speed up or slow down the ride, and increase or decrease the force of its movements, according to what they see.