Project Natal = Awesome! Could you build your own for Windows 7?

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Holy cow this is cool! 

Just announced at E3 – this is a vision based system that allows your whole body to be a controller. 

Coincidently, I’ve been thinking about vision-based gesture recognition systems lately.   It turns out that Windows 7 has an API called WM_TOUCH that allows you to bring in raw touch data from a touch screen and define your own gestures.  The advantage of this is that you get the “out of the box” Windows 7 gestures automatically, and don’t have create those from scratch.  So that’s touch – where does the vision system come in? 

Well, it should be possible to write a driver that allows a camera (or more likely multiple cameras – especially for 3D space, as is the case with Project Natal) to provide gesture capture to work with that same API.  A similar approach would let you use other techniques to capture gestures, too – e.g., you could use a special glove or a wand.   

XBOX 360 doesn’t use Windows 7, of course, but as amazing as Project Natal is, you could theoretically do your own version on a Windows 7 machine!  You just need to write that driver to capture motion and recognize gestures in 3D space.  Definitely NOT a simple task, to be sure… plan on consulting some rocket scientists…  but also not impossible.  :) 

See here for more WM_TOUCH.

For more on vision-based touch and gesture recognition options, check out these links:

And, of course, see here for more on Project Natal.  As impressive as the Xiroku and Albatron links above are (and they are), the fact that Project Natal works in 3D space rally raises the bar in my mind.  I can’t wait!  :)

UPDATES:

  1. Turns out, Project Natal has an SDK out, too.  :)  Will post again when I have more this.
  2. Good Time article on Project Natal.  Favorite quote:

"The Wii platform is totally engaging and awe-inspiring. But this is one step beyond that."

- Steven Spielberg

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