Today our class went on a field trip to visit GestureTek Technology, located downtown Toronto.
Vincent John Vincent started GestureTek, to support performance art involving virtual instruments. The early iterations of their technology employed an Amiga with 16 colours, laser disks that contained background video and multiple video formats and cables.
GestPoint allows human interaction with electronic devices and machines by allowing intuitive, eyes free interaction with computers and machines using hand gestures.
Their current technology is used in museums, science centres, sports and education. One of the pros of a no-touch interface is that it is less likely to break, because of lack of moving parts.
Some of the exhibits we saw:
Holopoint involves two cameras forming a video matrix. It is a portable system, and is able to accommodate large screens.
Japanese game show where actors are immersed within a virtual environment.
Interactive Table:
This table houses internal cameras beneath the glass. Similar to Microsoft Surface, the table we saw has multi-touch capability and allows up to six users to manipulate virtual objects.
IR Floors:
These floors react to anything that is different from the original animation. A particle engine drives particle interaction, and different applications are run at a time in intervals. Flash games have limitations with respect to particles.
Mobile Devices:
Katamari Damacy Mobile is a video game for the DoCoMo’s 904i series of mobile phones by Mitsubishi developed by Namco Bandai. It is a spin-off of the Katamari Damacy series, the second game on a portable system and the third game produced without the involvement of series creator Keita Takahashi.
This version of the game uses a unique method of control, by making use of a new software technology called GestureTek EyeMobile to make phones capable of detecting tilt and vibration via the built in camera. The player will be able to move the katamari ball forward, backwards, left and right by merely tilting the phone.
Nintendo’s Wii videogames to treat patients who have movement and balance problems. Occupational therapists are guiding patients through golf swings, tennis serves and baseball strikes to help them not only gain lost movement, but to teach their brains to respond quickly to fly balls or swinging fists.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2007/05/11/wii-therapy.html
$2 multitouch – A simple multitouch pad made from a plastic bag, some dyed water, and a camera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzNh31q61gc
Microsoft Surface prototyping began in 2001. Allows multiple people to work on a project without using a mouse or keyboard. The future the form factor of this computer can be part of a countertop, wall or refrigerator.
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/
Touch screen technology is not perfect. One problem that arises is that as you put your fingers on a device you obscure the screen. One company is suggesting that using a device that using a touch interface behind the device allows for more accurate performance without obscuring the screen.
LucidTouch – a see-through mobile device:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aASuL7RHJHM
PlayStation3 – Eye of Judgment
http://kotaku.com/gaming/ps3/eye-of-judgment-online-impressions-302228.php
Playing Knockout on the PlayStation2 with EyeToy:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=6829556
