The general idea of active video games is that when the person playing makes a move in the room, the computer senses that movement and translates it into movement on the screen (hence the technological challenge). A person running in an empty room in Tel Aviv sees himself (or herself) as if running in Central Park in New York. And this is just the beginning.
It is possible to shadow box and see the face of a your “favorite” politician explode, or to dance and see yourself, or someone prettier or more handsome, making the same moves on the stage of “American Idol”, or play tennis or basketball against the computer, with your real hits and jumps translated onto the screen. The possibilities are endless, as is the case in computer games, but this time, your whole body is participating.
Many hardware and software makers are competing in this growing market, but XTR - Extreme Reality Ltd. is unique. The company claims that it is the only one has succeeded, using only software, in following the player’s three-dimensional body movements vis-a-vis the computer in real time using an ordinary webcam. The company says that other companies use colored adhesive patches on the user’s hands, which the software monitors; or sensors affixed to the hands, which broadcast to the computer their position in three-dimensional space; or special cameras, which emit infrared signals to the body and record the echo, rather like radar.
Currently, almost all active three-dimensional computer games need some kind of external hardware or numerous cameras. The most popular are Nintendo’s Wii consoles, where players hold a controller, which emits a signal to the computer about the player’s location and movements in three-dimensional space, such as when boxing or playing tennis. The computer senses the location of the console, not the user.
One might think that it should not be so difficult to follow the movement of a person via a camera. Methods for spotting the movement of an object, and especially people, by video have been applied for years in a variety of products, ranging from computer games to security systems. However, it has never been possible to translate the movement of a person in the whole space, including the forward-backward axis from a single ordinary camera, into a three-dimensional space using only software. In a two-dimension image, it is very hard to know whether the hand is located precisely next to the shoulder at a given moment, or slightly in front of or behind it, and to what extent the body is leaning forward at the same time. These facts are critical for translating a two-dimensional image recorded by an ordinary camera into the three-dimensional world that our brains perceive in order to create as realistic a game as possible.
XTR jealously protects the secrets that underlie its method. The company says that it involves a long series of algorithms in the field of computer vision and human anatomy. For example, the computer can spot a hand and know how it looks from every angle at every given moment, even if it was not photographed from this direction at that moment.
XTR CTO Dor Givon founded the company in 2005. He previously founded RVC, which developed a three-dimensional video that can take a 360-degree picture of a scene, and sold the technology to Micoy Corporation.
“Globes”: Do you think that in the gamers’ world there are enough people interested in renewed awareness of their bodies, or, alternatively, do you think that there are enough athletes prepared to concede reality in favor of a computer game?
Givon: “”The Economist” recently estimated that Nintendo Wii consoles would reach a third of households in the US. This is only an example of the sector’s potential. Three-dimensional upgrading is suitable for anyone who wants to be active without having to go outside, or spending money on the facilities needed to play tennis, for example. It is also suitable if you want to play against a friend who lives far away, or if you want to simulate playing against Michael Jordan and be able to ‘jump’ like he can.”
What about games with guns or swordplay, where there are, of course, no parallels in the real world?
“The technologies that make possible three-dimensional activity are not designed for strategy or fantasy games, which people play all day long, but for short and more energetic games.”
Have you already achieved a level of precision similar to the level achieved by companies that use special hardware?
“We have a precision within millimeters. There is hardware capable of greater precision, but the difference has no effect on the user, and it will be reduced regardless of improvements in our software as camcorders get better.”
Companies like Sony and Nintendo make money from their complex devices, since the games themselves are burned and pirated. Maybe they won’t be pleased by the elimination of their special devices.
“On the contrary. Computer games companies actually subsidize the devices. That way, users will eventually buy more games of which the firms sell enough, and of which they know how protect copyright in the era of burning and piracy. The companies will be very pleased with a system that does not need special hardware, can be downloaded from the internet, and immediately brings in billions of potential new users to three-dimensional games. We’ll operate as the growth engine that enables activity for current and new computer games. We’re now formulating a contract with a leading company to develop active versions of tennis and boxing games.”
In addition to the huge active games market, XTR is looking at other markets. Givon says, “Our software makes possible to operate a cellphone by hand movement in front of a camera without being restricted by small key size. It will be possible to operate a smart home without holding the remote or a mouse in the living room. It will also be possible to build more intuitive user interfaces for people who cannot manipulate a keyboard or mouse."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on August 2, 2007
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