Microsoft: Look Ma No Hands +SONY

Wired blogged from E3 yesterday where Microsoft hosted Steven Shpielberg in the introduction of a new game controller (from an acquisition of an Israeli firm), dubbed Project Natal.

See AEP's Gesture-controlled displays for similar projects by others.

Update: More from E3 in Sony Eyes Motion Control, Augmented Reality at Create Digital Motion,

Gesture-controlled displays

A 2007 AEP post, UI control via webcam, mentioned XTreme Reality 3D, "a piece of software that works with your webcam to let you control applications and games with your hand in real space." It turns out that others were working on similar controls for TVs, according to NewTeeVee in Hands On with Softkinetic’s Hands-Controlled TV. Here's an excerpt:

"We write a lot about how the world of content available through your television set is undergoing a dramatic change. But the changes happening to your TV aren’t just what’s on or how it gets there, but also the way you interact with your TV set. Forget remote controls and buttons when you’ve got hands to change the channel and adjust the volume. We’ve been following this gesture-controlled TV trend for a while and recently sat down with Softkinetic to get a demo of their solution."

Here's a few demonstrations of the trend:







Update: via a blog without comments, CNET/CBS adds another example, but doesn't seem to acknowledge other reports or previous examples:

Quantum of Multi-touch + titles

Another wave of multi-touch memes has hit with the latest Bond thriller Quantum of Solace, CNN elections graphics, and Windows 7. The multi-touch UI, and movie titles, were done by MK12 Studios (mentioned at Fxguide). There's even a critique of the Bond UI by a consultant at Microsoft Surface, and Make magazine weighs in with Quantum of Solace - The Do-it-yourself version.



g-speak from Oblong Industries is another entry into the the Minority Report game, via Brooks Andrus:


Update: Chris Meyer notes an article and an interview with Ben Radatz of MK12, Art of the Title: Quantum of Solace.

Microsoft's inexpensive multi-touch display

Microsoft TouchWall can inexpensively turn any flat surface into a multi-touch display -- or so says CrunchGear. Microsoft seems to actually be innovating, and with different technology than noted in Microsoft Surface≠Minority Report. There's Techmeme cluster for more discussions...



Update: John Nack notes Flash-based and other multitouch coolness.

Microsoft Surface≠Minority Report

flashpoint (Ian Kennedy's blog on social media marketing) mentioned the Popular Mechanics video of Microsoft's Multitouch in Microsoft Surface, Minority Report realized.


Update: Last month Microsoft researcher Eric Horvitz demonstrated technologies (CNET video) that use hand gestures to manipulate data and a box that beams to turn any surface into a display.