A month or so ago, Microsoft released the Kinect, a device that tracks your movement and let’s you control a game with your body. It’s spectacular technology and I have no interest in buying one. The games are subpar, it’s $150, and I actually want it more for non-game uses. Controlling my computer or aspects of my house via specific body movements is far more interesting.
On that note, here are my 4 favorite Kinect hacks. People quickly figured out how to make use of the thousands of IR light blasts and their experiments give some hints to future uses of the technology.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
This is my favorite hack of the bunch. If they’re not already using similar technology in Hollywood, they will be. [via waxy]
3D Video Capture with Kinect
This is the first hack that I saw and it blew my mind. If you had four cameras mounted in the center of your ceiling, you’d have complete coverage and be able to explore the space in 3D. It’s only a matter of time before high-end real estate picks up on this and let’s me view a demo unit live.
Optical Camouflage Demo with Kinect
This video goes on way too long, but it’s an invisibility cloak! We’ve discussed having an always-on video conference between our NY and SF offices. I’d love to turn on a real invisibility mode when I don’t want to be bothered. [via Engadget]
Interactive Puppet Prototype with Xbox Kinect
You only need to watch a few minutes of this, because you quickly realize that puppetry is going to get a lot more exciting. Imagine going to Disney World and watching actors perform a live, animated version of Toy Story. [via Ze]
12/10/10 8:24 AM
That last one reminds me of how Jim Henson Co. used to perform Waldo:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_C._Graphic
Although they would use real-time three-space tracking that would work more like GPS's and less like cameras. Somewhere out there is a video of Henson showing how it works.
- Gil