Tag Archives: KinectHack

Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video)

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Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video)

We've seen Microsoft's Kinect used in countless ways, but 3Gear Systems means to better these predecessors with the beta release of its SDK, which turns all the subtleties of hand movement into actions. In addition to using two Kinect cameras for accuracy, the software compares hand poses against a pre-rendered database so gesture commands are executed with little lag. It offers complete control of a virtual 3D environment from the comfort of your natural desk position, so you won't have to worry about flail fatigue after long stints. A free public beta is available now until November 30th, at which point bigger companies will require a license, while individuals and small enterprises will continue to get complimentary access. We know what you're thinking -- it's just another Kinect hack -- but we suggest you reserve judgment til you've seen the demo below, showing examples of how the API could be used for CAD, medical, and of course, gaming applications.

Continue reading Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video)

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Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GamesBeat  |  source3Gear Systems  | Email this | Comments

MIT’s real-time indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers

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MIT's realtime indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers

We've seen the Kinect put to use to help you find your groceries, but the sensor's image processing capabilities have some more safety-minded applications as well. The fine minds at MIT combined the Kinect with a laser range finder and a laptop to create a real-time mapping rig for firefighters and other rescue workers. The prototype, called SLAM (for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) received funding from the US Air Force and the Office of Naval Research, and it stands out among other indoor mapping systems for its focus on human (rather than robot) use and its ability to produce maps without the aid of any outside information, thanks to an on-board processor.

Continue reading MIT's real-time indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers

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MIT's real-time indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ZDNet UK  |  sourceMIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab  | Email this | Comments

Google Street View goes retro with unofficial ASCII treatment

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Google Street View goes retro with unofficial ASCII treatment

Nostalgia is a powerful force. It's driven some to search Google through a Bulletin Board System-like interface or, in the case of programmer Peter Nitsch, it's compelled him to graft ASCII art onto the physical world. Simply plug an address into his project's website and you'll be able to pan through an ASCII facsimile of a real-world Street View vista. Leveraging WebGL and Javascript, the system samples the search giant's images and generates text art using the appropriate characters and hues. Nitsch's fondness for retro visualizations don't end there, however, he also created a system that superimposes a gaggle of characters in the wake of a physical paintbrush using a Kinect and a projector. Built as a plugin for the openFrameworks toolkit, the code relies on a GPU for the real-time image conversion and is freely available for tinkering. Hit the source link below to see the modified Street View in action or head past the break for a video of the ASCII painting. For some of the technical nitty-gritty, tap the more coverage link.

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Google Street View goes retro with unofficial ASCII treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 06:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink io9  |  sourceTeehan + Lax Labs  | Email this | Comments

Moving trash can catches your waste, annoys Larry Bird (video)

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Moving trash can catches your waste, annoys Larry Bird (video)

Just when you thought developments in trash can technology hadn't moved too far since the trusted b-ball backboard accessory, a Japanese genius comes along to raise the bar. Modder FRP has created the Smart Trashbox, a moving can which uses a Kinect to track airborne garbage and make sure you'll never miss another three. Impressively, it appears he designed and built every piece of the puzzle himself, from the motorized wheel base right down to the PCB. We dread to think how much coding this took, given that the Kinect monitors the entire room, calculates trash trajectory and sends the can interception orders. Apparently the accuracy stats don't demand MVP awards just yet, but check out the highlight reel (and more details of the project) after the break.

Continue reading Moving trash can catches your waste, annoys Larry Bird (video)

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Moving trash can catches your waste, annoys Larry Bird (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keio University’s Kinect-based Haptic VR system lets you roll your own face flat (video)

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Keio University's Kinectbased Haptic VR system lets you roll flat your own face

A research team at Keio University has built a fun haptic virtual reality system that enables you to manipulate pictures with a rolling pin. A vertically mounted Kinect takes a 3D image that is then displayed on the projection surface. Using the rolling pin, the image can be rolled over and flattened as if it was dough -- with a series of motor cranks inside the implement to replicate the necessary feedback so you can feel what it'd be like to iron out your own face. It's been designed as a modern-day update to the penny-squashing machines you found in theme parks, except with slightly more grotesqueness. You can watch the face-mashing in glorious color after the break.

Continue reading Keio University's Kinect-based Haptic VR system lets you roll your own face flat (video)

Keio University's Kinect-based Haptic VR system lets you roll your own face flat (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scientists train Kinect to follow your tongue wagging

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We've seen Microsoft's diverse little Xbox motion controller go on to do a heck of a lot more than the company ever indeed, but up to now, it hasn't really done much to capture the majesty that is the human tongue. Thankfully, a team of researchers at the University of Electro-Communications in Japan are working to right that wrong, developing a system that can detect tongue movements, using the relative positions of a user's eyes and nose. The feature has been demoed with an Asteroids-like shooting game -- stick out your tongue to fire and move it left or right to adjust your aim. The whole thing has some practical applications beyond just making people looking goofy on video -- scientists see it as a way to train the tongue for folks with speech and swallowing disorders, one that doesn't require an unhygienic tongue attachment. Don't worry, you don't have to attach anything to your mouth to watch the video after the break, either.

Continue reading Scientists train Kinect to follow your tongue wagging

Scientists train Kinect to follow your tongue wagging originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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