Product: SoftKinetic Debuts Gesture-Based Controller Tech

3D gesture recognition software developer SoftKinetic has demonstrated new gesture-based navigational technology for home entertainment at the Consumer Technology Ventures Conference, a showcase for digital lifestyle technologies. The technology, which recognizes concurrent motion of head, shoulders, torso, and extremities in 3D, concurrently and in real time, is the product of five years of development. According to SoftKinetic, it bypasses any other physical input device by allowing the user to interact directly with computer games, home theater systems and other applications using bodily gestures. SoftKinetic's software, which is now available, translates this motion into 3D vectors that can then be interpreted by other software. According to the company, the technology has been tested successfully using both id Software's Quake III and Microsoft's Windows operating system – a process that reportedly took “just a few hours.” “No longer is our navigational experience with a computer limited by wires or the number of buttons on a remote-control or a game-pad,” said Georges van Hoegaerden, chief executive officer of SoftKinetic. “By delivering real 3D gesture recognition enabled applications today, SoftKinetic demonstrates its unique ability to improve the shelf life of in-market applications as well as develop more natural navigation for new applications across the home entertainment segments.” He added: “Imagine your game character jumping behind a wall because you’ve done so in the real world, or a virtual exercise instructor reacting to your movements in reality. Then think of browsing through your music and video collection with a wave of your hand, or your child getting off the couch and burning calories without realizing it.”