As much as I love the wireless controllers that come with the next-gen consoles (Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3), there are some inherent drawbacks. It seems that, whenever I’m at a critical point in a game, my controller will invariably stop working. It will either lose connectivity with the console, the batteries will run out, or the boss I’m trying to beat will cast a voodoo spell to save his own skin—and I have to resist the urge have a Wii-mote accident. Well, problems like these might be a thing of the past. The ZCam, a new 3D camera, translates body movements into commands, effectively turning you into a living control pad.
Demonstrated at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, the ZCam is set to revolutionize the industry. Using a technique called “Time of Flight,” it detects motion through infrared light pulses. It seems to me that it’s acting almost like SONAR, determining how long an IR pulse takes to reflect back to the camera. Coupled with a 1.3 megapixel camera, it is faster, more affordable, and more sensitive than its predecessors. The sensitivity really impresses me, as ZCam is reputed to be able to detect 3D motion as small as 0.4 inches. So try to hold back on those celebratory jumps when you finally beat a level—your character might not live to regret it.
Israel-based 3DV Systems, the company that makes the ZCam, sees applications of their device beyond the gaming industry. I agree that their primary niche should, at least initially, be PC and console games, but there are many other fields the ZCam could influence. Imagine a scene like in Minority Report, being able to control a computer with hand motions—but without gloves or any other kind of interface device. In fact, such a setup was even demonstrated with Windows Vista. A thumbs-up performance, I feel.
Once it becomes fully integrated into consoles, it’ll be kind of nice to be able to go boxing in Wii Sports without having to connect that nunchuck. I’ll be able to just jump in front of my TV and start taking swings. All that’s left is for someone to design the system that swings back…
Photo credit: besportier.com
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