entertainment

Check your Psycho-Pass levels at Shinjuku Station

17 Comments
By Audrey Akcasu

How is your mental state? How likely do you think you are to commit a crime? If it were the year 2112 in the dystopian Japan of the popular anime "Psycho-Pass," it would be no secret; your mental state and “Crime Coefficient” would be read, monitored and recorded by the Sibyl System. What’s more, if you were to go a little crazy, then you would be “taken care of” by the Public Safety Bureau.

With the new "Psycho-Pass" movie coming out on Jan 9, Fuji TV and their anime program "Noitamina" have come out with an ingenious advertising event. Why wait until 2112 to get your Psycho-Pass index when you can just go to Shinjuku Station next week. But watch out, if your mental state reading is muddy or your crime-coefficient is too high, you might get eliminated.

The week-long campaign, lasting from January 5-11 (6 a.m. - 11 p.m.), is set up in the Metro Promenade of the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line at Shinjuku Station. The display consists of sixteen 60-inch screens with motion sensors and high-definition cameras. When you walk up to the screen, the system, operating on Microsoft Kinetic V2, will display your Psycho-Pass profile with your current face as the ID picture.

The system will also “determine” your mental-state color and crime-coefficient. If the reading is muddied or too high (over 100), one of the Inspector or Enforcer characters from the anime will come out (on the screen) with their Dominator. The Dominator is a specialized gun that works with the Sibyl System to determine if the suspect is a latent criminal or not, and if so, will allow the user to shoot them with one of three settings―the strength of the electro-magnetic blast is determined by how dangerous the suspect is thought to be.

If you find yourself with a high-level, you better run before your get a Non-Lethal Paralyzer, Lethal Eliminator or Destroy Decomposer blast coming your way.

Unfortunately, the event only lasts a few days, but if you get the chance, head down to Shinjuku and get your Psycho-Pass checked out. Better yet, go down there twice, once when you’re really calm and once when you’re really angry and see if there is a difference in your reading. If you do make it there, leave us a comment and tell us how cool it is in real life.

Source: NetLab

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- 15 quotes from manga characters to pick you up when you’re feeling down -- The “doya-gao” phenomenon and where you’re most likely to see it -- You’re probably not as genki as this old lady!

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17 Comments
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I wonder what the proportion of gaijin to Nihonjin criminals will be. Any guesses?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dunno, but I'm pretty sure the politicians don't take the trains...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Though this is harmless (back in the states) they are using programs, that profile individuals for future potential crimes. The US I'd drawing up the legal framework for "prolonged detentions" even for someone who has yet to commit a crime.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The creator of this gizmo must have been inspired by "A Clockwork Orange."

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

sounds like somthing out of "Precrime" arrest you before you even commit a crime. slowly but surely edging towards a big brother police state

1 ( +1 / -0 )

whoah!!! I love this anime i just finished the whole season 1 and 2 last week! Waiting for the OVA this year!!!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If you have to use Shinjuku Station as part of your daily commute, then naturally your mental state is going to be of concern. 2.8m commuters a day - and that's after suffering on the likes of the Yamanato or Keio lines. The absolute worst...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Los Angeles and Atlanta Police Departments are already using a predictive policing system which predicts when and where a certain type of crime is most likely to occur.

The software is developed by UCLA researchers and it is commercialized under the name PredPol. Their website is http://www.predpol.com/

The system excels in predicting residential burglaries. Burglaries display (spatial-temporal clustering) patterns which are very similar to earthquakes. Similar algorithms are also used in seismological systems.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

ahem.. I think I'll pass.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The good news is that this will also qualify as an admission of guilt for the Japanese judicial system.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I pass through this area regularly. Let's see if I screw up the system ... and get blasted away ... If I fail to return to your screen herewith, look for me on the funny farm ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not possible, pretty much 50% of the population would be locked up

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well, the funny or scary thing (I LOVE the anime!!) is that I am studying computer science and this shit is actually being worked on. One of my compulsory courses next semester is data mining...

And yes, they are working on intelligent video cameras for places like airports which could identity ´suspicious´ persons (described, for example, as those 'looking around nervously´ , ´jumpy´ , and some other awfully fake classifications) automagically so that the police or security can them come to take away for a nice long interview. You prove to be innocent? Okay you can go, sorry about missing your flight.

I am NOT looking forward to further advances in this area. I was not before I watched the anime, and now I am DEFINITELY not liking where this is going....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Many would flunk the test on the spot.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sounds like there is potential here for a good Sci-Fi flick.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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