Softkinetic, EA Partner For Gesture-Based Basketball Technology

Belgian 3D gesture recognition software developer SoftKinetic is collaborating with Electronic Arts for a new gesture-based "gaming experience" prototype, enabling users to simulate shooting a basket against a professional basketball player. EA Sports' Spectrum "innovation lab" uses DynaScan's 360-degree walk-around display to allow users to interact with a recreation of Miami Heat basketball player Dwayne Wade. A depth-sensing video camera allows users to walk up to the screen and make different gestures, such as shooting a basketball or waving hello, which the virtual Wade will react to. The basketball simulation, which appears to be R&D-based prototyping of ideas rather than a planned commercial product, will get its first showing at technology show Wired NextFest. “We continually search for new ways to engage wider audience in gameplay through innovation,” says EA Sports' Creative R&D director George Borshukov. "By using SoftKinetic’s 3D gesture technology, we can remove the controller and allow the user to play a game with their own body movements. This is just one step towards a new kind of full-body gameplay which will have an important role in the future of interactive entertainment."