Mixed Feelings
From: Wired - 04/2007 - Vol. 15, No. 4, P. 152
By; Sunny Bains

Expanding our range of sensory input by tapping the neuroplasticity of the
human brain is the focus of research in labs around the world. The key lies
in determining the manner in which the sensory data should be changed into a
form that the brain is already programmed to receive, such as taste, sound,
touch, and visual imagery. Tackling the problem of spatial disorientation was
the motive behind the development of the Tactical Situational Awareness
System, a garment equipped with vibration elements that tell the wearer which
way is down. A more advanced model, the Spatial Orientation Enhancement
System, can make flight intuitive by triggering vibrations on specific parts
of the body in response to a change in direction or orientation.
Neuroscientists at Wicab, founded by the late researcher Paul Bach-y-Rita,
have developed a "tactile display" consisting of an electrode-studded
mouthpiece connected to a pulse generator that triggers electric current
against the tongue. Testing has demonstrated that the device can restore
balance to people with inner-ear disorders by generating a tactile square
that moves in relation to the user's movements. The usability of sensory
prosthetics ultimately depends on achieving a greater understanding of the
brain's information processing capabilities. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.04/esp.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.04/esp_pr.html

Links:
Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS)
http://nuclearsiafu.blogspot.com/2006/09/stanky-brain-sweat.html

Spatial Orientation Enhancement System
https://stage.ccad.uiowa.edu/opl/projects/soes_des/

Spatial Orientation Enhancement System Photos
http://opl.ecn.uiowa.edu/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=SOES&id=CIMG0554

See with Your Tongue. Navigate with Your Skin
http://www.raidersnewsnetwork.com/full.php?news=4127