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I recall at least two applications of this same sort of thing being done already. It's not even locked inside the realm of Microsoft's imagination; it's already in use by others!

http://mixedrealitylab.org/virtual-hugs-and-intelligent-pillows-invented-in-asia/
http://www.mytware.com/
http://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/tech-careers/adrian-cheok-making-a-huggable-internet

I wish I could bring myself to stop reading patent stories. I don't have enough mental facepalms for them anymore.

The Mixed Reality Lab at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan did this in 2009 (linked post dated 2010/10/01, research presented on Popular Science's "The Future Of" television show in their The Future of Sex episode, aired in 2009.

The only reference to it remaining on the PopSci.com is Video: Japanese Robot Torso Hugs You Back dated 2011/06/23.

It would be cool to incorporate this type of controller into a portable device. You could have portable laser-tag like games with real-time mapping, or incorporate some type of ball and it automatically keeps score and records the game. You could have "operations" players indoors that have some different role (view the maps, for instance, and direct the players)

With networking and GIS in a portable device, it's almost necessary to have new interfaces to use all the new space it knows about. In gaming it's the most fun but these types of thing could be used in more professional ways also.

It would be cool to incorporate this type of controller into a portable device. You could have portable laser-tag like games with real-time mapping, or incorporate some type of ball and it automatically keeps score and records the game. You could have "operations" players indoors that have some different role (view the maps, for instance, and direct the players)

With networking and GIS in a portable device, it's almost necessary to have new interfaces to use all the new space it knows about. In gaming it's the most fun but these types of thing could be used in more professional ways also.

It would be cool to incorporate this type of controller into a portable device. You could have portable laser-tag like games with real-time mapping, or incorporate some type of ball and it automatically keeps score and records the game. You could have "operations" players indoors that have some different role (view the maps, for instance, and direct the players)

With networking and GIS in a portable device, it's almost necessary to have new interfaces to use all the new space it knows about. In gaming it's the most fun but these types of thing could be used in more professional ways also.

It would be cool to incorporate this type of controller into a portable device. You could have portable laser-tag like games with real-time mapping, or incorporate some type of ball and it automatically keeps score and records the game. You could have "operations" players indoors that have some different role (view the maps, for instance, and direct the players)

With networking and GIS in a portable device, it's almost necessary to have new interfaces to use all the new space it knows about. In gaming it's the most fun but these types of thing could be used in more professional ways also.

I'm still blown away everytime a new Pac Man out.