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Dune Pain Box - A Hacker's Replica

Inspired by Frank Herbert's "Dune", the greatest Science Fiction book ever!

rogeorgeRoGeorge
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"- What's in the box?
- Pain.

He felt increased tingling in his hand, pressed his lips tightly together. How could this be a test? he wondered. The tingling became an itch... The itch became the faintest burning... It mounted slowly: heat upon heat upon heat... . The burning! The burning! He thought he could feel skin curling black on that agonized hand, the flesh crisping and dropping away until only charred bones remained.
It stopped! As though a switch had been turned off, the pain stopped...

- Take your hand from the box, young human, and look at it. (...) Do it! she snapped.

He jerked his hand from the box, stared at it astonished. Not a mark. No sign of agony on the flesh. He held up the hand, turned it, flexed the fingers.

- Pain by nerve induction, she said."



Quoted from "Dune", by Frank Herbert. Published in 1965.

Some years ago, the Swedish physician Torsten Thunberg discovered a thermal illusion. If you take 2 different temperatures, both temperatures being in the comfortable range, but alternate them on the skin, then a very powerful sensation of burning is felt. This was called "Thermal grill illusion", and it reminds of the Bene Gesserit's Pain Box Test, from the amazing Frank Herbert's book, "Dune".


This is a device that reproduces the thermal grill illusion using 5 cheap Peltier elements:

  • Align 5 pieces of TEC1 - 12706 thermoelectric Peltier elements at about 1 cm each.
  • Connect all of them in parallel, and apply about 7.5 Volts.
  • No fan or temperature control is necessary at room temperature. Natural convection is enough.


Does it really works? Absolutely!
It works surprisingly well.

3D Printing AVR Arduino Art Audio Automation BeagleBone Bluetooth Cameras Clock Drones Environment Hardware IoT LED Medical Music Radio Raspberry Pi Remote Control Robotics Rockets Satellites Science Security Software Virtual Reality Wearables

  • 5 × TEC1-12706 Peltier Element
  • 1 × 7.5 V / 3.1 A DC Power Supply

  • Unexpected results

    RoGeorge • 07/03/2015 at 04:53 • 0 comments

    • If the Peltier elements are placed much closer (5 mm = 0.2 inch instead of 15 mm = 0.6 inch) the illusion is not stronger. It seems a little weaker.
    • If the skin is more sensitive, then the burn sensation should be stronger, right? Not always. For example, with the tongue there is no burning illusion at all. Only well distinct cold and warm plates are felt instead. The alternating temperature are felt normally, nothing like the "burn" felt by the hand.

    3D Printing AVR Arduino Art Audio Automation BeagleBone Bluetooth Cameras Clock Drones Environment Hardware IoT LED Medical Music Radio Raspberry Pi Remote Control Robotics Rockets Satellites Science Security Software Virtual Reality Wearable

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Discussions

Rocketburns wrote 07/03/2015 at 22:23 • point

Feels intense pain- decides to test with tounge :)

  Are you sure? yes | no

RoGeorge wrote 07/04/2015 at 01:26 • point

You know, I was pretty pleased of my discovery, before you put it that way!
:o)

  Are you sure? yes | no

Rocketburns wrote 07/04/2015 at 02:29 • point

Well, I guess it's all in the name of science 

  Are you sure? yes | no

MECHANICUS wrote 07/01/2015 at 21:00 • point

THE PAIN!!!

  Are you sure? yes | no

RoGeorge wrote 07/01/2015 at 21:11 • point

"You must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
You will face your fear.
You will permit it to pass over you and through you.
And when it has gone past you will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only you will remain."

  Are you sure? yes | no

Sparkmike77 wrote 07/01/2015 at 23:25 • point

And afterwards,

"You can now beer.
Beer is the mindkiller.
Beer is the little brew that brings total intoxication.
You will face your beer.
You will let it pass not over but through you.
And when it has gone you will use the outer plumbing to direct it's path.
Where the beer has gone there will be nothing,
But drunk you will remain."
-With deepest apologies to Frank Herbert.

  Are you sure? yes | no

RoGeorge wrote 07/01/2015 at 23:35 • point

LOL, I never knew Dune could be so funny!
:o)

  Are you sure? yes | no

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