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Control Video Games with a Camera

Posted by pudge on from the very-neat dept.

sEEKz writes "ToySight is set of cool games and toys to play using your iSight or similar FireWire camera. Using a system of object and motion detection to track your position, Toysight allows you to control buttons, sliders and perform gestures on the screen, putting you right in the action." I played it with my DV camera, and it worked OK, but I couldn't crash the little parachute guy. I want death and maiming in my video games.

11 of 25 comments (clear)

  1. An EyeToy clone, but that's a Good Thing by oscarmv · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've tried it and it's just like the PS2 EyeToy camera/game combo (with different games and all but based on the same idea). However it still remains a very funny game and is something to boast to your Windows friends.

    1. Re:An EyeToy clone, but that's a Good Thing by Dave2+Wickham · · Score: 2, Informative

      Why would "your Windows friends" be particularly impressed? My Logitech QuickCam Web came with software which seems to be a load like this; I've forgotten its name now, but I got this a couple of years ago.

  2. Hello! 1995 is calling. by Kickasso · · Score: 4, Funny

    It wants its stuff back.

  3. I had this kind of thing years ago on Windows by EnglishTim · · Score: 4, Informative

    The intel 'Create and Share' cameras used to come with a few little games that you operated with the camera - like bouncing the basketball into the hoop, that kind of thing.

    This was back in 1998 or 1999.

    Shame they never went further with the technology - Sony were the first to put some really polished games together with it.

    1. Re:I had this kind of thing years ago on Windows by MikeXpop · · Score: 2, Informative

      I can confirm this. I had one of those and still did. The basketball one was by far the most entertaining. The others (there were three) were just pointless things like Pop the Bubbles and Bounce around a Globe. They weren't very fun, and you usually got bored with them after about 2 minutes of play.

      The cool thing was that you could have it as a screensaver, then whatever moved in the room (Dad, cat, etc) would trigger it. My cat hated that thing.

      --
      Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers.
  4. How far away is Minority Report Type Interface? by UV_Haze · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just thinking about the minority report interface. This game interface isn't too far off from what I saw in minority report, it's a lot more than I has expected in terms of applicaitons I could use with my iSight. The only negative is that my arms tend to get sore very quickly; however, I still managed to land my parachute guy within 47Meters of the target. Overall its a very cool app. Shows a lot of promise with physical gestures and things like that in Interface usage.

    1. Re:How far away is Minority Report Type Interface? by diverman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Who knows. One major difference is that many are going with video detection. Minority Report was more complex, with the golves. In stead of simple 2D image detection, it could draw from more, 3D complex gestures.

      I played with this game. It was okay. Definitely shows some potential, but I really see user interface limitations. I kept hitting the wrong button when I was reaching for another. It was neat. I guess we'll see if/when games of this nature develop.

      -Alex

    2. Re:How far away is Minority Report Type Interface? by venicebeach · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I think this was one of the few things minority report got right. This kind of gesture-based control is potentially extremely powerful. Human capacity for sequencing and generation of action sequences is extremely advanced, and may be the evolutionary precursor to vocal language. I bet a gesture-based computer-human interface will ultimately be the way we deal with these things rather than the star-trek vocal control way.

  5. Three cheers for Pudge! by hankaholic · · Score: 4, Funny
    Seriously, I'm impressed.

    Posted by pudge on Sunday January 04, @08:35AM
    ...
    I played it with my DV camera [...] I want death and maiming in my video games.
    An editor:

    1. Read the article
    2. Tried it out before posting to the homepage
    3. Expressed an opinion without stating it as fact


    I think Pudge is the new anti-Michael! Whoo-hoo!
    --
    Somebody get that guy an ambulance!
  6. Re: Control Video Games with a Camera by mjc_w · · Score: 2, Interesting

    iirc, there was a similar product for the Amiga.
    I don't recall the name, but you could hook up a video camera to the Amiga and interact with objects on the screen. I believe that one game let you play virtual instruments.

    --
    This is the Constitution.This is the Constitution under the Bush administration. Any questions?
  7. I saw something like this... by spyrral · · Score: 2, Informative

    at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose last year. A groupd of guys threw an Indie Game Jam and most of the games were of this type. Interesting stuff.