Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp, a leading provider of telecommunications services in Japan, has developed a prototype of a device that controls the direction of human bipedal movement. A human subject wears a helmet which conducts a low voltage electrical current (eg, painless) into the balance guiding region inside the ear; which causes the head to tilt to the side of the head where electricity is applied. "NTT researchers say they were able to make a person walk along a route in the shape of a giant pretzel using this technique."

Read the article.

The Misoneist Says: Military and police departments must be considering the use of this technology to force enemy combatants and suspected criminals into submission, respectively. If the wireless transmission of electricity is perfected and refined, this technology could control the movement of an individual from a localized distance.

A senior research scientist at NTT said, "I'm really hopeful Apple Computer will be interested in this technology to offer it in their iPod," in the article I linked to. How could anyone seriously consider that possibility?