Jun Rekimoto, a researcher for Sony Computer Science Labs, is working on a tech project that will let a person see through other people's perspectives, CNET reported.
Through the use of drones, cameras and sensors, Rekimoto aims to develop augmented reality to share the experience of what others are seeing and feeling.
According to the Tokyo-based researcher, he was inspired to pursue the project after reading William Gibson's novel "Neuromancer" from 1984.
"I wanted to extend this concept, that we can immersively connect to other humans or drones," he explained.
As for the real-world application of the project, Rekimoto said it could change how people watch and perceive sporting events, according to HiTech Journal.
Through specialized headsets and sensors, augmented reality technology can allow spectators, even those watching the games at home, can feel and see what the players on the field are experiencing.
As part of the project, Rekimoto and his team developed the headset called LiveSphere. The six cameras on the device can provide a 360-degree perspective of the surroundings of the person wearing it. The LiveSphere was already tested on a gymnast swinging on a high bar.
"The resulting image is quite exciting," Rekimoto said about the test with the gymnast.
Aside from LiveSphere, the researcher's team is also working on another project called the Flying Head. This involves a personal drone that's wirelessly connected to a headset. The headset displays whatever the drone is seeing.
For Rekimoto, this project can be used by emergency response personnel to inspect disaster areas that are too dangerous for people to enter.
Despite the other applications, Rekimoto is still focused on creating a device that could share the perspective of a person to other people.
"I think the more important, or more promising, practice is a human augmenting other humans," he said.