There's A Strange New Way To Use The Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Headset, And It Involves Swapping Bodies

Imagine what it would be like to swap bodies with someone.

It's not possible just yet, but thanks to the Oculus Rift, first-person cameras, and an experiment called Gender Swap, you can actually feel like you're in someone else's body. The Oculus rift is a prototype virtual reality gaming headset that makes you feel like you're immersed in the video game's environment. We tried the latest version at the Consumer Electronics Show this month and were blown away.

In order for the perception to work, both people have to synchronize their movements, be that rubbing your stomach or rubbing your hands together. That means you have to agree on every movement you make.

So just what is the point of this experiment? Well, it's designed to investigate issues like gender identity, queer theory, intimacy, and mutual gender relationship.

Warning, there is some nudity in the video below, which we first saw on The Verge.

Gender Swap - Experiment with The Machine to Be Another from BeAnotherLab on Vimeo.