> My thought is a variation on that theme....virtual reality.
>
[SNIP neat scenarios]
>
> The exercise machine in question costs about $200...i-glasses cost about
> $500...that leaves a computer...would a general purpose one work...like my
> pentium laptop? or would it need a dedicated chip...and the engineering...or
> is plug-in play (with a few mods) possible? and the programming....(I
> particularly like the part about chasing the scantily-clad nympth down the
> long winding grassy lane thru the forest.......<computer monitors
> heartbeat...once "training effect " is acheived and maintained for given
> period of time..."trainee" gets a reward......gains on nympth
> or...!!!!!!!!!!>
>
I'm fairly sure a modern computer (say a Pentium 266 MMX)
has all the raw capacity you'd need. I'd want a DVD, not
just a CD-ROM, for the content. The problem, as always, is
software, and in this case "content development." Note that
some of what you want is already available in some golf and
motorcycle arcade games. These tend to use a big-screen TV
instead of VR glasses, but that's minor compared to the rest
of the content you're looking for. The motion sensors are
trivial when they are attached to any sort of articulated
mechanical device. The physiological monitors are also
trivial. Effectors of any type other than audio and visual
are a bit harder, but still not that hard: look at robotics.
It would also be simple to build effectors based on small
motors, vibrators, thermal pads, low-voltage AC electrical
stimulators, and pressure/vacuum systems. (Yes, these
could be used for virtual sex, but are certainly not limited
to that, so get you mind out of the gutter.)
So, there is no hardware engineering constraint that I know of
on the system you want, with the possible exceptin of Scene
generation. I suspect you can use video from the DVD by
constraining the possible paths through the landscape that
the user is permited to enter.