You can always spot the novices in the virtual reality world of Second Life: Their online characters, or avatars, stumble around awkwardly and walk into objects as their real-world users fumble with the keyboard controls.

Now, technology from Japan could help make navigating online virtual worlds simpler by letting players use their own bodies ¡ª or even brain waves ¡ª to control their avatars.

Take the new position-tracking system developed by the University of Tokyo.