Gizmodo
The ZCam is the first low-cost, consumer videocamera that can capture video with depth information and probably the first real challenger to Nintendo's Wiimote: with its 3D capture abilities it will allow you to play Wii-style without using any controls whatsoever. In fact, it is so precise that it will even recognize your finger gestures to fire a weapon or manipulate your computer like in Minority Report, but without gloves or any other external device:
The camera has sensors that are able to measure the depth for each of the captured pixels using a principle called Time-Of-Flight. It gets 3D information "by emitting pulses of infra-red light to all objects in the scene and sensing the reflected light from the surface of each object." The objects in the scene are then ordered in layers in the Z axis, which gives you a grayscale depth map that a game or any software application can use.
According to manufacturer 3DV Systems, the depth resolution is quite good: it can detect 3D motion and volume down to 0.4 inches, capturing at the same time full color, 1.3 megapixel video at 60 frames per second. While there have been professional cameras with depth capture in the past, this is the first time that a device of such characteristics is cheap enough to be built into any game system or computer.
As you can see in the video, the ZCam is completely different from the EyeToy or any other normal 2D webcam. Even while it's not as precise and flexible as a real full 3D motion tracking system, the videos show that it can indeed provide with a new level of interactivity in video games and any application—like computer user interface manipulation.
While the results could be quite impressive, I'm not convinced about some of the applications. The flight simulator, for example, seems to work great. However, unlike boxing, I have the feeling that I wouldn't be able to control a plane without actually grabbing something. Of course, I can pick anything to give me that feeling, just like a Nintendo Wiimote. But then again, in flight simulator games you want an actual joystick, so the "phantom" feeling of not having force feedback is the same for the ZCam and the Wiimote. For any other game, like first person shooters, this kind of technology could be really good if it lives up to its promise and developers can fully exploit it.
Its virtues could be even easier to apply in computer applications. The demonstration in the video, with the guy manipulating Vista with hand gestures, gives you a very good idea. As I use my iMac 24 to type this, I wish I can just wave my hand in the air quickly to consult a PDF, like Minority Report's Tom Cruise but without jumping in the sofa and scaring Oprah. Or touching, moving and clicking the mouse.
Since the ZCam is a piece of circuitry that can be integrated anywhere, and without taxing the CPU, I don't see why companies like Apple or Dell wouldn't adopt them for future desktop and portables. However, the technology has just been officially announced this week and it's too soon too tell. Whatever happens, it's good to see such a device coming to the market. Hopefully, we will see it in action with real world applications soon. In the meantime:
Comments
What the heck does it have to do with a video game console anyway?
What the hell is with that music! Geez is there a NSWOD (Not Safe WithOut Drugs) label you can stick on there or sumthin?
@CoolZWhip: it has ALL to do with consoles. This device is targeted at game consoles, computers and other professional application.
It's cool and works well, but I would feel like too much of dork moving my fingers and shit like that, like a little kid pretending he is in a airplane when in reality he is in a refrigerator box. It would also make you look like you are doing sign language or something.
@mcg1969: I put the music on the video. It's better than the original soundtrack (silence.) And dude, it's MASTER NINJA SIMPSON! Mystery Science Theater 3000. A must.
when you say low cost how much does that mean really
the music is just great! Love it.
Holly crap. What's up wit music?
And a great product for disabled people, not for regular people, yet.
I don't see this as a reality. I think it's photoshopped.
Dude! Think of the possibilities.
Master Ninja Simpson? Are you retarded? It's the unofficial "Master Ninja" THEME SONG! Written by Joel and the bots from MST3K because the Master Ninja movie had no theme song of it's own. Simpson... really...
This will probably make PlayStation partisans cry if it's really a Wii killer, but Sony demoed something exactly like this in one of business sessions at E3 2004, billing it as a possible EyeToy 2. There was a lot of buzz around EyeToy back then because it was the most successful console peripheral ever at that point. (This was pre-Guitar Hero.)
The proposed EyeToy 2 even used the same tech - pulses of infra-red light. I remember because the "how does it work" question came from Will Wright, and I think the guy answered almost out of reflexive respect before he realized that he might be giving out important trade secrets to a room full of strangers who weren't on NDA and might work for their competitors.
For whatever reason, the PlayStation Eye didn't end up using this tech.
A camera is just a camera just like the eye is just an eye, its the software behind it that will work the real magic.
how much is it?????? cause that would be sick....
i see how much fun i could have with this...
lol
hide it behind a dvd box then u could
be able to control the computer or whatever... with "your mind controling powers"
This looks amazing, depending on how difficult the controls are, could be the future of computing/gaming.
i somehow foresee this being implemented in a rpg for casting different types of spells..
That would be great for all aspects of computing and gaming....I can just imagine a Naruto game with it yeah judge me if you will I stand by my opinion
Fantastic! The possibilities are endless, but I wonder what the ergonomic fatigue factors are? It could be quite challenging to come up with a virtual control scheme that might allow game consoles to pick this technology up... Especially with the considerable durations of time some gamers spend gaming. As an example hold your arms out in front of you, and see how long you can do it comfortably.
@Terminator12139: Consider how dorky we look using our keyboard and mouse... But we've become accustomed to that "look".
all I could think about was how bad my hand would cramp after a zcam photoshop session. Remember that Tom Cruise was in good shape for minority report. Not because he trained but, because he had a cool full-body workout for a computer.
Sorry, Jesus. I thought the music detracted from the video. Love MST3K, but it didn't fit here...
I would love this camera on a laptop to manipulate screen windows. I wonder if they could have one that can also see your hands near the keyboard so small movements could be translated on screen. Looking at my 24" monitor in front of me it seems like it would be too much work to use as a main interface device on a big screen.
@KenK: Nice. MASTER NINJA SIMPSON. Lol.
Real-life technology keeps taking the fun out of things. The next thing you'll know, Darth Vader will get plastic surgery and cloned limbs.
[www.3dvsystems.com] It's photos like this that will kill this product.
MMMMMmmmm Nicole Kidman. DAMN it I love redheads!
P.S. - My Gf is a redhead.
Oh yeah.. FUCKING cool camera!
'The objects in the scene are then ordered in layers in the Z axis, which gives you a grayscale depth map...'
I guess all the beenie weenie's caiming to have 10 inch cox can put up or shut up now. I think your IMing experience just got a whole lot more experiencable.
Mimes of the world unite! Our time is now!
"While there have been professional cameras with depth capture in the past, this is the first time that a device of such characteristics is cheap enough to be built into any game system or computer."
Any examples of these professional cameras? If I could find something like this, but usable with real lenses (and 1080i resolution) I would drop $10k without having to even think.
I've been doing greenscreen work as of late to support a media project. Green backdrop, green floors, lighting rigs, renting space, *tons* of manual post-processing, ... A true 3D camera would eliminate so much work for me! Record, apply a clip plane for depth and the floor, and I'm done. It'd even make it feasible for me to record out door scenes, which would be fantastic!
And I'm just imagining all the fun, fun experiments I can run with depth extracted from scenes, both for coding projects and robots applications! Robust depth exaction without stereographical guesswork? I could chuck all my computer vision books!
The console / gaming focus for this device seems... odd to me. I'm imagining a ton of more useful applications.
Ahaha, I remember when Kotaku posted that some exec saw the future of the Wii to be about cameras tracking movements and all of the comments were like, "WTF EYETOY EYETOY DUH LOL"... this is totally one of the greatest innovations I have seen in a lone time.
lol the music was gay...the preview was interesting
love 2 see wii with that...infact they had it at a playdium b4 with tekken motion tracking very fun
i loved the music. and this is definitely something i would pay way too much money to have. imagine the possibilities. especially in applications like 3d modeling. it would be great.
inquiring about SDK and cost right now :]
the demonstration is ruined by the cacophony in the background. the music is complete shite and sounds awful. what were they thinking
Now imagine!!!! interactive porn! how you gonna explain that to the wife if she ever walks in on your in the office
0.4 inch eh, why not just say 1 centimeter.
I really like that this is possible now, and when they can increase precision you could use it as a 3D scanner for raytracing, or for simply putting your face on game characters too, this has lots of uses and potential.
I just hope and pray they specify in their rights the technology can't be used by cops/homeland security and such.
IF it is all real.
I guess the jpeg group has to start adding Z depth to their specifications now
Guys, in 1997, RealityFusion launched something way ahead of this. The person behind this was Barry Spencer. Great innovator. All these guys are just copying decade old technology and ideas and not doing a very good job at it....
Take a look at this link from 2000:
[tinyurl.com]
If others did it in 2000, and nobody heard about it, and no products are available, then guess who did the bad job?
@KenK: hahahaha, yeah. I'm retarded. And spanish. It's the way it sounds to me.
@altus: Where's is RealityFusion?
Now I'm watching this just to hear the music everyone's talking about. And I like it, very classy. But distracting non the less :D
@takemetoyourtoaster: they haven't mentioned the price. Their technology is available for OEMs, apparently. But according to them, low enough to be marketed cheaply in the mainstream.
The music cracked me up. I was expecting the camera to pan to the other side of the room and see a couple of guys making the noises, er, music.
i want this for my mac so i can do everything like minority report!!!
@alin0steglinski: *cue minority report music*
@flumbo: I think the music is great, as it fits the movements and cheap look of the demo videos. As for not being useful ergonomically, I don't agree. If it works like the say and looks, I think it would be great in a wide range of situations.
Gaming to start with, but think about home theater setups. Be able to control your TIVO moving your hands. And I would to be able to casually wave my hand to have something happen in my computer.
Oh, and MASTER NINJA SIMPSON!
@pizzlepaps: I added the music. The videos were silent.
I have to agree, the music didn't quite fit.
Don't sweat it, your average for awesomeness hasn't dropped by that much, Jesus.
Excellent concept.
Joel and the bots = Awesome
Mike and the bots...not so much.