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Taking the Wii Controller to the Next Level

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the stuff-to-play-with dept.

funfail writes "It's a Wii without the $250 console. It's virtual Pong and so much more. Any object is now an input device, even your fingers. Camspace is a pure software solution that allows nearly any ordinary PC webcam (95% are supported) to track up to four objects — even as small as 5mm — in real-time and with very high accuracy and reliability (Windows only). Techcrunch has an in-depth article and a video." Very neat idea, but it appears that it is in a limited beta only, and source doesn't appear likely.

6 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Nice tech, but latency? by J-F+Mammet · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This certainly seems to be a very nice software, but the main issue with using webcams as input devices is the latency. Your average webcam can take quite some time between what it's filming and what the PC is actually getting at the other end. And this is a very bad thing when it comes to gaming. You can even see the latency in their video at around 1:30 when they have the players and the PC screen in the same frame.
    Nice for simple games I guess, but for serious gaming it would require special cameras with low latency.

  2. Source by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 5, Insightful

    source doesn't appear likely. So, if the source isn't available, we whine!

    This is one of those very annoying parts of the whole Open Source Movement, the whining. Good Idea, no source = whine.

    Code it yourself, and give your work away. Stop whining, please. It doesn't do the community any good when you whine.

    Seriously, if the code isn't open and it isn't going to be, start your own, and stop whining. It would be so much better if we stopped whining and posting the whines to slashdot and started to code.

    One of the side benefits of this (coding a good idea like this) would be that no company would dare release beta code, if it knew that the OSS version was on the way.

    Now, get back to coding!
    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  3. Re: Taking the wii controller to the next level by hypergreatthing · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So... this has nothing to do with the Wii or a controller for that matter. It's video recognition software.

    GJ.

  4. Patent infringement ? by DrYak · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "one of these" isn't anything but a webcam. That's the problem too...

    Massive lawsuits coming from Sony for infringement of all patents they managed to get granted regarding the Eye Toy in :
    5 seconds...
    4...
    3...
    2...
    1...
    Take of every lawyer !
    For Great Justice !

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  5. PS2's EyeToy anyone ? by Vapula · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What this is doing is basically the same than the PS2 EyeToy... Maybe with a better accuracy (but, well, the hardware is more recent).

    I wonder What Sony will think about that... I guess their patent lawyers will be ready to jump on the case...

    For Information, EyeToy Antigrav tracks
    - both arms for character's arms movements
    - head movements for the character direction change
    - jump/duck to make the character do the same things...

  6. thank you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As a guy who likes the open source movement, I'm well aware how those who think they love freedom really want to push rules onto other people.

    Open source = good
    close source = good

    freedom = good

    being forced to open or close one's source = bad