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[boutrosinit]

The gaming 'magic wand'.

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/info-tech/dn7890

Not like the Hitachi Magic Wand then.

http://www.magicwandzshop.com (not safe for work themes within, though pics are okay)

 

[gofreak]

I read about this ages ago. Sony filed for this last year, Jan 04. It was brought up in the last "sony doesn't innovate/they should steal nintendo's ideas/sony is a robber" thread.

 

[Mihail]

This is still camera based, so it does not have the potential to become a standard control method. It can probably be used for the big, exaggerated motion games, like fishing and crap, but there's no way you can make games for it that require controlled, precise movements.

 

[gofreak]

This is still camera based, so it does not have the potential to become a standard control method. It can probably be used for the big, exaggerated motion games, like fishing and crap, but there's no way you can make games for it that require controlled, precise movements.

The whole point of the LED "wand" is to bring precision, in terms of what you are pointing at least. And immediate registration of "clicks" with the system.

It lacks 3d motion mapping, obviously, unlike Rev.

 

[Mihail]

The whole point of the LED "wand" is to bring precision, in terms of what you are pointing at least. And immediate registration of "clicks" with the system.

It lacks 3d motion mapping, obviously, unlike Rev.

More precision that the EyeToy, yeah...
But since it's camera-based, it relies on distance, not angles. If you're five feet from the screen and move the control up 5 inches you won't get the same read as when you're 10 feet from the screen and move it up the same 5 inches. As such, it's practically impossible to develop games that require precision.

EDIT: This is how I understand the technology difference, at least. Maybe I am mistaken.

 

[Andrew2]

Something to take into consideration, but Sony have researching all sorts of user interface for the very longest. In fact, they have a lab in Tokyo devoted to such a thing.

BTW, did you know Sony invented "touch-sensitive" virutal buttons? If you've ever heard of "Touch Engine" its one of thier inventions.

 

[gofreak]

More precision that the EyeToy, yeah...
But since it's camera-based, it relies on distance, not angles. If you're five feet from the screen and move the control up 5 inches you won't get the same read as when you're 10 feet from the screen and move it up the same 5 inches. As such, it's practically impossible to develop games that require precision.

EDIT: This is how I understand the technology difference, at least. Maybe I am mistaken.

They account for distance from the camera:

FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating a scheme for setting a scale dependent upon the distance a user is from the image capture device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Here, user 102a is at a first distance associated with image plane 117a while user 102b is at a second distance corresponding to image plane 117b. It is not necessary that image capture device 104 has depth capability, as the corresponding scales from images captured at image plane 117a and image plane 117b may be used to provide a relative degree of distance corresponding to respective image areas occupied by user 102a and user 102b. According to this relative degree of distance, the amount of movement for input device 100 to cause a corresponding movement of a cursor on display screen 108 may be adjusted. For example, if the user is closer to image capture device 104, then larger movements may be used to correspond to a movement of a cursor as compared to smaller movements when the user is at a farther distance.

Just perspective, I think - if the led takes up more pixels it is closer, if it's further away it takes up less pixels. They can compare the size of the LED being capture to some "standard" size and adjust the movement from that.

 

[Sean]

Microsoft has a wand controller prototype too from last year (called Xwand)

http://research.microsoft.com/~awilson/wand/default.htm

 

[Victrix]

I don't have a link to it handy, but there was an absolutely awesome Sony interface demonstration video floating around the net awhile ago

Basically this guy had a sensitive flat panel, and a set of small square glass panes. Placing the panes on the panel in one of the marked grid spots would cause the panel to illuminate the pane with an interface element - say, a video, a clock, an mp3 player, a calendar, etc

Now, what was really badass was that placing another pane beside an existing one would link the panes in a context sensitive, and fairly intuitive manner. Dropping a photo beside the video pane would let you drag the photo onto the video player, playing a video of that person/thing/etc.

It was wickedly cool, I'll have to dig around and see if I can find the video again

 

[Lionheart]

I don't have a link to it handy, but there was an absolutely awesome Sony interface demonstration video floating around the net awhile ago

Basically this guy had a sensitive flat panel, and a set of small square glass panes. Placing the panes on the panel in one of the marked grid spots would cause the panel to illuminate the pane with an interface element - say, a video, a clock, an mp3 player, a calendar, etc

Now, what was really badass was that placing another pane beside an existing one would link the panes in a context sensitive, and fairly intuitive manner. Dropping a photo beside the video pane would let you drag the photo onto the video player, playing a video of that person/thing/etc.

It was wickedly cool, I'll have to dig around and see if I can find the video again

Link: http://gprime.net/video.php/sonyrevolution

 

[..pakbeka..]

Link: http://gprime.net/video.php/sonyrevolution

awesome, but what the hell is it?

 

[-SD-]

awesome, but what the hell is it?

It's Sony's DataTile technology from 2001: http://www.csl.sony.co.jp/person/rekimoto/datatile/

DataTiles: A Modular Platform for Mixed Physical and Graphical Interactions

The DataTiles system integrates the benefits of two major interaction paradigms: graphical and physical user interfaces. Tagged transparent tiles are used as modular construction units. These tiles are augmented by dynamic graphical information when they are placed on a sensor-enhanced flat panel display. They can be used independently or can be combined into more complex configurations, similar to the way language can express complex concepts through a sequence of simple words.