Computers Remote Control Their Humans — Thanks, Canesta
I like the Wii just as much as the next guy — but it starts to wear after a while. Jumping around and swinging that remote is fun for some games, but in the end I’m pretty sure its a passing novelty. The people at Canesta seem to agree with the fun part, but also seem to think that motion control is here to stay. Canesta’s new motion sensing chips are looking to add full-body 3-D gestures to computers, games, and a few other devices.
Canesta’s technology uses cameras to detect motion, which can then be interpreted as control gestures. I suppose you could use gestures to control anything if you really wanted — handstand for rewind or maybe a roundhouse kick to turn on your TV. Okay, maybe not. But CanestaVision could be used in a ton of different awesome and creative ways. I’m just not sure it will ever become a common-place form of control.
One thing about our device interfaces — whether they be computer keyboards or television remote controls — is that all the buttons are labeled, and each provides a single, unique action. Motion-based controls lack this clarity and specificity. With motion-control systems, you have a vision system processing and interpreting your movements. Unfortunately, interpretation means there is room for error. Moreover, users have to learn a set of gestures that they will have to repeat accurately in order to get the desired results — and there is no built in list of choices as we get with a keyboard, for example.
I think Canesta has a great technology, but making people move around to do things like channel surfing just isn’t going to happen. Microsoft will be using a similar technology in their Project Natal for the Xbox 360, which makes more sense to me. Of course no one says you can’t add motion controls to augment existing systems, but there is a reason we still use keyboards and such.
Still, I could be wrong. Perhaps in the future this is what it will be like to type out a report for school. Then we can say that the computers have learned to control us, for they will be the ones quietly standing by while we exert all the effort.
Nice to see a strong rival to Natal technology. Competition of Microsoft and Canesta will boost quality of both systems. Although Nintendo is sceptical about these camera-based sensors:
http://prnatal.com/blog/?p=215
Last year, we designed a prototype for an entertainment center powered by Canesta’s camera technology.
http://www.kickerstudio.com/blog/2009/03/case-study-gestural-entertainment-center-for-canesta/
Some of our design principles were that you DIDN’T have to make the broad (stupid) gestures that you have to make with so many gestural systems. As you point out: it’s simply impractical that people are going to do lots of movement to control their TVs (or most other devices). And Canesta’s cameras have only gotten better since we did our prototype, so the gestures can be even smaller and lazier now.
I agree that the technology is getting better, but in the end I still think if you offer these motion controls in conjunction with normal remotes (which will be around for a long time) whats the added benefit. Personally I’d still be way more likely to reach over grab the remote because I change the channel a lot, and even if it can detect simple hand movements I’d rather just press a button. Sad but true fact haha.