Digital windows...

[Felsir]

Headtracking using a Wiimote:


Timelapse of the construction



I wouldn't install it in my house but the craftmanship is impressive.

[Ginsu Victim]

Wow, simple idea, but executed awesomely!

[Frigo]

That is awesome! I want those in every room of my house. 

[javeryh]

Wouldn't you always have to be wearing the sensor in order for this to work?

[Ginsu Victim]

Wouldn't you always have to be wearing the sensor in order for this to work?

Sure. It's not practical, but it's neat.

[Frigo]

Just stitch it into your neck.

[javeryh]

Wouldn't you always have to be wearing the sensor in order for this to work?

Sure. It's not practical, but it's neat.

Agreed.  I'll wait for the ocular implants.

[drventure]

With that new stuff from Microsoft (the stereo camera gizmo for xbox, can't recall what it's called), you wouldn't even need the sensor bar necklace.

Very cool project. Seems like you'd have to have a LOT of money to burn to try that though. What else are you gonna use those 2 large screens for?

[Howard_Casto]

With that new stuff from Microsoft (the stereo camera gizmo for xbox, can't recall what it's called), you wouldn't even need the sensor bar necklace.

Very cool project. Seems like you'd have to have a LOT of money to burn to try that though. What else are you gonna use those 2 large screens for?

Yes you would... project natal will not be sensitive at all.  It's a glorified eyetoy and we know what a pos that was. 

you would have to have something on your head.  It wouldn't have to be obtrusive though.  An earpiece or hat would work.  Or if you wear glasses.

[SavannahLion]

And when a crowd of people are in the room?

[TOK]

And when a crowd of people are in the room?

You put football on and they watch it sideways.

[opt2not]

Now he can play vertical arcade games right from the wall displays!

Get this man a PC arcade controller stat!

...oh yeah, and the digital window idea is cool too.

[RayB]

It's not even a sensor you have to wear. It's just 2 LED lights for the Wiimote to see.

[drventure]

And when a crowd of people are in the room?

I'd imagine at least one person upchucking from the combined effect of alcohol, motion sickness issues, and the messed up messages your brain would get from see the POV change and yet you not moving

Watching football sideways would probably be in everyone's best interest

[AtomSmasher]

With that new stuff from Microsoft (the stereo camera gizmo for xbox, can't recall what it's called), you wouldn't even need the sensor bar necklace.

Very cool project. Seems like you'd have to have a LOT of money to burn to try that though. What else are you gonna use those 2 large screens for?

Yes you would... project natal will not be sensitive at all.  It's a glorified eyetoy and we know what a pos that was. 

I used to think the same thing until I got to test the Natal myself and was extremely impressed.

[shmokes]

Yeah . . . Natal looks to be a glorifed eye toy, but the iPhone is also a glorified Pocket PC.  The Gamecube controller is a glorified NES controller.  A 2006 Honda Civic is a glorified 1986 Honda Civic.  Sometimes "glorified" makes all the difference. 

[opt2not]

The Natal is what the eyetoy should have been.

Just like how the Wii-motion plus is how the wii-controller should have been as well.

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah . . . Natal looks to be a glorifed eye toy, but the iPhone is also a glorified Pocket PC.  The Gamecube controller is a glorified NES controller.  A 2006 Honda Civic is a glorified 1986 Honda Civic.  Sometimes "glorified" makes all the difference. 

Your point would be much more valid if any of your cited examples were true. 

Glorified means in actuality they are almost exactly the same but people perceive them as being different.  Those things actually are different. 

Natal is just a high resolution camera... you know EXACTLY what the eyetoy was.  The only difference there could be would be a software one and game developers and tech guru's following the natal have already stated that to do motion tracking like the natal claims would take so much processing power that the games would suffer.  So yeah, the natal, on paper is all that and a bag of chips, but in reality your going to get slighty underpowered graphics with slightly buggy motion control... the wort of both worlds. 

I have no doubt that the tech demos for natal are super impressive as well.  There isn't much you know, game to them so they can invest all the 360's resources into doing more accurate tracking.

[AtomSmasher]

Yeah . . . Natal looks to be a glorifed eye toy, but the iPhone is also a glorified Pocket PC.  The Gamecube controller is a glorified NES controller.  A 2006 Honda Civic is a glorified 1986 Honda Civic.  Sometimes "glorified" makes all the difference. 

Your point would be much more valid if any of your cited examples were true. 

Glorified means in actuality they are almost exactly the same but people perceive them as being different.  Those things actually are different. 

Natal is just a high resolution camera... you know EXACTLY what the eyetoy was.  The only difference there could be would be a software one and game developers and tech guru's following the natal have already stated that to do motion tracking like the natal claims would take so much processing power that the games would suffer.  So yeah, the natal, on paper is all that and a bag of chips, but in reality your going to get slighty underpowered graphics with slightly buggy motion control... the wort of both worlds. 

I have no doubt that the tech demos for natal are super impressive as well.  There isn't much you know, game to them so they can invest all the 360's resources into doing more accurate tracking.

Hehe, I used to believe the same thing as you, but just wait until you get to use it yourself and I think you'll change your mind, just like I did.  I did have a lot more typed up to explain why including specifics of how much of the 360's resources it actually uses, but I decided I'm probably not supposed to be talking about it, so I'll just end it with "Wait and see for yourself"   Unfortunately it'll probably just be used as a gimmick in most games for quite a while.

[Blanka]

LOL,
The cooling ducts to keep the screens from overheating 

[opt2not]

LOL,
The cooling ducts to keep the screens from overheating 

Are those awesome or what! Clever use of PVC piping there. I was also impressed by the facade and bookshelf construction.
This is giving me some ideas.

[shmokes]

Natal is just a high resolution camera... 

I think, though, that this is simply not true.  It's a high resolution camera, combined with an infrared projector and some sensor of some kind, I think.  It also has a mic on it (not sure if the Eye Toy has a mic . . . never used it)

And the software, of course, can make an enormous difference because it's not just a single piece of retail software.  We're talking about the APIs and libraries or whatever (I'm not a computer programmer so shouldn't throw terms like that around, especially when I'm talking to a programmer) that determine the device's potential functionality for every game. 

Even looking at the hardware by itself, it is probably not a lot like the Eye Toy.  But the hardware/software combo pretty clearly set it apart.  I mean, maybe it'll be stupid (it's clearly Wii envy, and most of what the Wii does is pretty awful), but I suspect it's not what you think it is.