Microsoft IllumiRoom (Proof-of-Concept)

[Alladaskill17]

This would hopefully make it into the next-gen console, and become popular with TV manufacturers etc. for gaming and movie experiences.

[farmeunit]

Way too distracting for me.

[HawkMan]

Looks really awesome.

as for distracting, how is it distracting, it's kind of like Philips ambilight just better. remember when you watched those annoying 3D movies and stuff just "stopped" when it left the TV. well now the sparks and bullet traces go outside the tv, explosions shake the whole room and fires burn all over, but your eyes are still focused on the TV, the rest is just ambience, making you more immersed in the experience(unlike makign yoru use another screen outside of the screen where the immersion is...)

The only problem I have is that 1. it's going to be expensive with a nice big projector with kinect on it, and 2. my 55 inch tv is wedged in between 2 dorways and sticks a a cm out into each doorway... this doesn't seem to compatible with giant holes in the wall on each side of the TV :)

but this really takes immersion to the next level, without needing to wear a giant VR helmet.

[Crisp]

I still don't understand how Kinect can beam an image onto your wall from being sat in front on the TV set. It looks like a good concept, but by the looks of it that's all it'll ever be, a concept.

Have MS actually released a video showing how it's done?

[+Ryster Subscriber²]

I still don't understand how Kinect can beam an image onto your wall from being sat in front on the TV set. It looks like a good concept, but by the looks of it that's all it'll ever be, a concept.

Have MS actually released a video showing how it's done?

Clearly it's not Kinect doing the actual projecting, nobody is suggesting that it is. There must be a projector behind or above the player projecting this stuff onto the wall. Then it's just a simple matter of having a second video output from the Xbox or PC and getting the two pictures in sync. It's not rocket science. What it is though, is extremely cool :)

[Dotdot]

Im into this big time, and im loving this new idea of experimenting with how our brains/eyes create a believable experience out of trickery.

Theres a good bit of info coming out on this within the last few years that pertains to how we actually use our senses to make up the world around us.

10% of what you see is what your seeing via your eyes at any given moment, the other 90% of what around you is computed by the brain, it explains the mcgurk effect partially, and various other everyday phenomenons such as when you "think" you saw something but didnt, etc.

So stuff like this is deffo a step into this kind of sensory trickery I think were going to see as we look to further immerse our selfs in virtual worlds. Think how well something like this could work with kinect, and or even a wii`s controller, and allow a pseudo augmented reality off say a tennis court with cheering crowd as you play tennis?

I say pretty damn cool :)

[Crisp]

Clearly it's not Kinect doing the actual projecting, nobody is suggesting that it is.

But in the first part of the video, it's "scanning the room"? That's where I got the Kinect bit from.

[Dotdot]

But in the first part of the video, it's "scanning the room"? That's where I got the Kinect bit from.

Why did I suddenly envisage someone being digitized into the T.v set ala Weird Science style, lol!

[Crisp]

Why did I suddenly envisage someone being digitized into the T.v set ala Weird Science style, lol!

It could becoming true. One minute you're watching TV, the next you're pulling a chocolate bar out of the TV set...

After all, MS are steaming ahead with interactive ads on Xbox :s :|

[HawkMan]

I still don't understand how Kinect can beam an image onto your wall from being sat in front on the TV set. It looks like a good concept, but by the looks of it that's all it'll ever be, a concept.

Have MS actually released a video showing how it's done?

The kinect is mounted with the projector to measure the room geometry.

this video btw, is real, it's not fake effects, this is from real gameplay with a working prototype.

Why did I suddenly envisage someone being digitized into the T.v set ala Weird Science style, lol!

yes, the projectors projects a grid pattern, and combined with the kinect camera and the kinect depth camera it sees how the beams are broken up, and uses that to properly "distort" the projection so it in fact looks correct when projecting instead of stretched and broken up.

[MorganX]

Interesting, but if you have a projector you should probably just project on the wall.

[medhunter]

like all internal medicine physicians do; wait and see

[Crisp]

The kinect is mounted with the projector to measure the room geometry.

But if you pause the video at 0:33 you can see the boundary on the projection, which still leads me to think what the scanning is for as it's only projecting into one area (which is what a projector does anyway). The only object which would need scanning from what I can see is the TV. :s

Maybe it would become clear to me once I've seen how it works.

Edit: then I get the idea of projector bulbs, with all this, why not just go out and buy a projector? Thus eliminating the TV and playing on your wall in the first place :wacko:

[Emn1ty]

I like it. Its subtle enough to really add to the gaming experience. Only problem is that it can only work in a dark room.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Way too distracting for me.

I actually agree.

It is a very cool concept, but I can just see it being a little to crazy. Never-mind the fact my wife would freak the **** out almost instantly and tell me to turn the lights back on. :laugh:

I am still very much into seeing what comes out of this, but I personally would prefer some Goggles that create a VR world over this. Then I do not have to deal with the aforementioned wife complaining about it being to dark and to much going on in our TV room.

[JustGeorge]

Way too distracting for me.

Best damn gaming innovation to come along since the rumble pak as far as I'm concerned.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

I think it's only cool if you're experiencing this alone. I can imagine how irritated I'd be as a spectator in the darkness, with lights moving all over the place.

As DirtyLarry said, I'd rather wear virtual reality goggles so I can have an isolated experience. Just imagine how crazy your cat would be with fast-moving lights.

[SkyyPunk Veteran]

Just imagine how crazy your cat would be with fast-moving lights.

Best reason for this to become real!

Though this does have me intrigued...might need to buy a projector and learn to code for kinect

[compl3x]

Cool idea. Horrible name. ( I get it is probably a place-holder/codename)

[HawkMan]

But if you pause the video at 0:33 you can see the boundary on the projection, which still leads me to think what the scanning is for as it's only projecting into one area (which is what a projector does anyway). The only object which would need scanning from what I can see is the TV. :s

Maybe it would become clear to me once I've seen how it works.

Edit: then I get the idea of projector bulbs, with all this, why not just go out and buy a projector? Thus eliminating the TV and playing on your wall in the first place :wacko:

No, the projected image needs to know the geometry of the room it's scanning, remember it's not projecting on a flat surface. there's a bookcase there's tv furniture and potential other furniture, in order for the projection to be properly projected on these without stretching, it needs to be deformed according to the shape of the furniture.

Also the system works with 4 projectors for full room immersion.

I like it. Its subtle enough to really add to the gaming experience. Only problem is that it can only work in a dark room.

It'll work in a lit room as well. projectors today are perfectly capable of working in a lit room, especially in this context as they only project brighter stuff, and it' not supposed to project an image you focus on, just surrounding "ambience" effects.

[Emn1ty]

It'll work in a lit room as well. projectors today are perfectly capable of working in a lit room, especially in this context as they only project brighter stuff, and it' not supposed to project an image you focus on, just surrounding "ambience" effects.

I should amend this to "well". For example, in my parents house there are windows in every major room which you cannot cover. No projector is going to overpower the sun.

[HawkMan]

but it doesn't need to. the idea here isn't to project nice bright clear images, that's what the TV is for, if you're capable of seeing the TV, then this will work. if the room is to bright to sse the TV, then you can't play anyway.

Besides this is generally aimed at people who don't live at home and have their own living room anyway, I don't think your parent would let you mount a projector in the living room in any case. this is not for the casual gamer.

[Emn1ty]

but it doesn't need to. the idea here isn't to project nice bright clear images, that's what the TV is for, if you're capable of seeing the TV, then this will work. if the room is to bright to sse the TV, then you can't play anyway.

Besides this is generally aimed at people who don't live at home and have their own living room anyway, I don't think your parent would let you mount a projector in the living room in any case. this is not for the casual gamer.

@bold - Not sure what you mean by that. Especially since that has nothing to do with my example, and the fact I do not live at my parents house makes it a moot point anyways.

My point is that projectors are nice and all but there are some conditions where they will be sub-optimal. Even if it isn't supposed to project a clear image that demonstration was in a dimly lit room bordering on dark. I doubt its designed to be used in a fully lit environment (at least at present). That being said I'm really just nitpicking.

[Eric Veteran]

This would be quite interesting combined with a good pair of shutter glasses.

[_neutrino Veteran]

why not just get a large projector and give up on the televison all together.