It seems every day we get closer to E3, there’s a new rumor for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720. Yesterday we heard of the possibility the next-generation Xbox requiring an Internet connection at all times, which may be one of the nails in the coffin of the used games industry.
Today, The Verge is reporting they’ve learned from sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans for its next-generation Xbox the company plans on improving its speech recognition technology. The next-generation Xbox is expected to have wake on voice, natural language controls and speech-to-text technologies. (more…)
The video wants to make me rip my eyes off with the edge of my Xbox gamepad, but it heralds an immediate future that fires a clusterstorm of nerdgasms inside my sci-fi-damaged brain. It shows what Capri, the next 3D sensor by the makers of Microsoft Kinect, is bringing to us: extreme precision, fast motion tracking that gadget makers would be able to embed everywhere, from your tablet, laptop and TV to elevators, robots and appliances. It basically enables a future in which you are some kind of Jedi or wizard, casually waving your hand at things to make them work. More »
Though we wrote about it last month, PrimeSense is showing off its Capri sensor for the first time at CES 2013. As a refresher, the Capri is about ten times smaller than the company’s existing 3D-sensing chip, which incidentally make up the guts of Microsoft’s Kinect. With the help of potential OEMs, the Tel Aviv-based firm hopes the cheaper and tinier sensor will make it in tablets, laptops, cell phones and many other consumer-level products beyond the niche realm of video games. We saw an example of how it could be built into a Nexus 7 tablet as seen above, though the company didn’t have any Capri-compatible applications it could show us. Combined with implementations in retail, robotics, healthcare and more, the Capri is just the latest attempt by PrimeSense to create a ubiquitous 3D-sensing environment. President and founder Aviad Maizels told us he would like it to be so universal that it’s a “new way of living.” We have a PrimeSense-produced concept video of just such a world after the break, along with close-up shots of the teeny weeny system-on-a-chip.
Texas-based start-up Lynx Laboratories has been teasing its creation, a 3D camera system for the better part of a month now. Now it’s finally prepping to make a serious stab at a market that’s still very much in its infancy. The device itself is essentially a giant display (14-inch to be specific) with a Kinect mounted on top. The cameras can be used to capture 3D models of environments such as rooms, but also people or individual objects. Those creations can be manipulated virtually or even printed out on a 3D printer, in case you prefer a more tactile interaction. The giant shooter slab is even capable of capturing motion and then turning it into an animation that can be used with a 3D model. So if you’ve ever wanted to animate an army of your clones doing the Thriller dance, now is your chance. We’ve embedded a few teaser clips after the break, but there should be plenty more detail coming on January 15th, which is when the company says it will launch its Kickstarter page.
Styku has been around for roughly a year now. The company even just wrapped up a pilot program with Nordstrom that could see the legendary retailer using it’s Kinect-based measurement taking system. While there hasn’t been much change to the Styku Virtual Fitting Room, we figured we’d swing by and actually check out how it works for ourselves. We spoke to Tommy Vo, who walked us through the process, which is pretty simple. He directed us to stand with our heels on a pair of marks on the floor, hold our arms out from our sides and stand still for roughly five seconds while the Kinect cameras mounted all around us snapped away. Then the specialized software spent about 30 seconds turning the raw data in to useable measurements for inseam, waist, chest and just about any other body part that could be of import to a tailor. While the numbers spit out could be used to purchase a custom made suit, the company is focusing more on retail sales, where the information could be used to identify articles of clothing that will fit best. To see a hairy beast of an Engadget editor get turned a collection of dots and paired with some bootcut Diesel jeans, head on after the break.
Microsoft has revealed IllumiRoom, the latest fruit of its virtual reality research, using Kinect and projection systems to turn your living room into a huge, immersive gaming environment. The proof-of-concept, shown off today at CES, uses projected visualizations rendered in real-time to extend gaming from your TV to your whole environment.
“The effects in the video are rendered in real time and are captured live,” Microsoft research says, “not special effects added in post processing.” The system uses a Kinect for Windows camera paired up with a computer-controlled projector, with the sensor bar mapping the geometry of the room and then overlaying the digital graphics on top.
None of the visuals are pre-processed, with the whole IllumiRoom system figuring out the skew of the walls and how the images need to be modified to suit in real-time. “Our system can change the appearance of the room, induce apparent motion, extend the field of view, and enable entirely new game experiences” Microsoft suggests.
Full details of the system haven’t been revealed yet, with Microsoft saying that it will be detailing the whole system in an upcoming paper. Exactly how the company might leverage the technology into a commercial product isn’t detailed, though we think it might be a while before Xbox gamers can fill their living room with gameplay.
Two weeks ago, we heard about EA supporting Xbox 360′s Kinect in Dead Space 3 and immediately became excited at the prospect of being able to yell at our co-op partner nonstop throughout the game. Not only will we be able to yell out orders to our co-op buddy, but it looks as though the game will recognize certain words yelled at certain moments in the game, specifically curse words.
During an interview with CVG, Dead Space 3 producer Steve Papoutsis revealed a number of hidden voice commands can be triggered through swearing the right word at the right time.
“…there are commands where you might be in a certain situation and you might yell a specific expletive and it might behave in a way that you want it to.”
What those commands are, when they need to be yelled to trigger something and their results are, of course, unknown at this time. When Dead Space 3 is released on February 5th, we’ll be sure to curse our lungs out at every moment we can, even while we’re browsing our inventory. You never know what a good F-bomb could bring up in there.
Sure, firewalls are an important part of secure computing, but they aren’t nearly as cool as their name suggests. You know, like an actual wall made out of fire. This firewall isn’t exactly that either, but it’s a step closer, and bears at least a passing resemblance to fire despite being a bit safer to touch. More »
The tools available to therapists tasked with helping children with motor skills impairments improve their range of motion are definitely helpful. But the Human-Automation Systems Lab at Georgia Tech is looking to make said tools even better (specifically for those with cerebral palsy) with the SuperPop Project. With the use of a Kinect and display — two items that may already be in many homes — what children will see as a game is actually helping to build upper-arm motor function. The setup is fully customizable on the back end, which allows the therapist to tailor sessions to each patient and to his or her individual progress. During the course of play, the software tracks the coordinates of the user’s joints, collecting loads of data for analyzing progression / regression and the like during the course of the rehabilitation. Head on past the break for a quick look at the setup in action.
Microsoft has revealed a new Xbox 360 package, the Nike+ Kinect Training Bundle, complete with a console, Kinect sensor bar, and a copy of the Nike+ Kinect Training game. The set – which also includes a month’s Xbox LIVE Gold membership, to whet your appetite – is priced at $249.99 after a $50 discount holiday promotion, and will be available in the US.
The console itself is the 4GB version, though it won’t be the only way to get a copy of Nike+ Kinect Training. According to Microsoft’s Major Nelson, the title will also be offered via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace from December 25, priced at $49.99 or 4,000 MS points.
The following day – to help work off turkey fever – will see the release of the “Fast and Focused: Upper Body and Core Pack” which adds a 15-minute workout to the Nike+ game. Featuring personalized workout drills, it will be priced at $4.99 or 400 MS points, though will obviously demand a copy of the full title before you can use it.
The Xbox 360 Nike+ Kinect Training Bundle is already up for preorder, though at the full $299.99 price rather than the discounted rate. It’s expected to be broadly available from today.
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