Mobilize your personal static electricity for a hands-free 3D gestural interface

Posted by a totally wowed Bettina Tizzy

Students at Northeastern University in Boston have created an interactive interface that harnesses electrostatics to give you 3D control just by waving your hand in front of a computer. No camera, no markers, no physical controllers: it recognizes xyz coordinates, and even works with modeling and music programs. As you move your hand in three-dimensional space, the information is transmitted to the computer.

3D Computer Interface from Free Flow on Vimeo.

Peter Kirn of Create Digital Motion contacted a member of the student team, Justin Schunick, to learn more. Per Justin: "The interface uses an array of copper electrodes to sense a certain change in the electric field created by the device. The black material covering the electrodes shows how the interface can be hidden beneath surfaces to create a completely invisible interface. It is simple black felt you can buy at any fabric store. The total cost of this prototype was around $60.00 USD."

Speaking for myself, and considering my fitness level after nearly 2 1/2 years of participating in virtual worlds, I would welcome any technology that encourages whole body movement while working in 3D environments.

You can read the original story about this exciting development here.

CrazyTalk in Second Life

Whoa! Just discovered this via Moo Money at Massively. CrazyTalk is an animation tool that transforms any character face into a talking actor, and you can use it now in Second Life®.


Creating talking Second Life avatars with CrazyTalk from The Martin Brothers on Vimeo.

Avatar puppeteering for Second Life in 2008?

Insofar as virtual worlds are concerned, puppeteering is the real-time, user-manipulated animation of avatar joints, and nope, it's not available in-world yet, though Linden Lab and its Studio Shiny (an SL developmental lab) have indicated that they are behind it, or were behind it or...

The first goal is to create a Physical Avatar, meaning that people will be able to maneuver the joints of their avatar. Later releases would feature much more, including real-time gesturing through the use of your keyboard or some other external device, users being able to build and save their own gestures, without having to use external modeling applications, exporting, and uploading; and something they call "ragdoll friction," relative the force of impact.

I found this Linden Lab press release dating back to August of 2006, where the capability was announced and presented. On the Second Life Wiki, however, it states that this project "is being put on the back burner until 2008." *Glances at calendar.* At the end of the Wiki page, it goes on to say: "Project in hibernation so that developers have time to devote to projects that increase Second Life's stability and performance."

*crosses eyes, smirks, wrinkles forehead, raises one eyebrow*

Looky what popped in my video feed last tonite, by Jeffrey Ventrella, former senior developer at Linden Lab, who was also responsible for developing Flexi Prims and the FollowCam.



On his comprehensible and informative website, Jeffrey goes on to say, "As of now (March, 2008) the technology has not yet been fully deployed, but I hope it will soon be re-visited, as I think it would add a level of expressivity and direct expression to the avatars in Second Life."

Furthermore, he says,"This technology has the potential to provide a way for residents to manipulate their avatars through motion-capture, using input devices similar to the Wii."

*whistles and... puts left foot in, puts left foot out, puts left in, and shakes it all about*