Saying I to Eye Control (icontrol) Exergaming? [CES]

At CES 2011, Waterloo Labs (National Instruments) demo'd their proof-of-concept eye-controlled gaming system, using a DDR-type mock-up. It makes you wonder the limits a person can can sustain repetitive rapid eye movements in such distinct patterns - as opposed to regular game play where you get to look all around the screen (or HUD if using VR).  I also wonder how much interference you get once you start moving around and whether the artifacts and sampling error can be overcome with the use of a visual reference system, a la Kinect or PS3 Eye.

Now using eye movements is nothing new, but its good to see people taking the time to use affordable sensors for gaming purposes. I love the open-source EyeWriter project as a prime example of using eye control for computer interaction.  Get hacking!

Amazon Gets Moving

You know exergaming / active-gaming / motion gaming is big when Amazon "takes its talents" to our side. Although it's only a matter of time before they really make the link towards possible better health through gaming and technology.

I've seen a couple of neat things from the CES 2011 press releases including the Bodymedia Armband BW which integrates via Bluetooth to log your activity and energy expenditure.

Ernie Medina will be there getting all the latest "hands-on" with the newest devices.  Can't wait to see pictures!

HopSkipConnect to Healthier Lifestyles

“Healthy behavior. Everyone. Everyday. Everyway.”

That’s the ambitious mantra that the Center for Connected Health’s spinout, HopSkipConnect has adopted as its company’s mandate, according to CEO Rick Lee during a presentation here at the Wireless Life-Sciences Alliance event in La Jolla, California.

While the startup is still in a stealth mode of sorts, Lee sketched out some of the company’s plans as well as its vision for connected health.

HopSkipConnect is a device agnostic connected health company that uses personal health devices (glucometer, blood pressure cuffs, pedometers, etc.) from more than 50 partner companies to move biometric information into their analytics engine. HopSkipConnect runs the data through their “black box” and applies decision rules, clinical rules engines, pattern recognition and other tools to crunch the data and report it back to end users via text message, smartphone apps, Facebook, Twitter — or whever the user wants it, according to Lee.

[More Via Mobi Health News]

Treasure World

Image via Wikipedia

Nintendo DS is the most succeeful gaming platform on the planet and we've seen other DS exergames in the past including Pokemon: Soul Silver, Personal Walking. Here is Treasure World a game that uses WiFi to find treasures in the real world.

What makes Treasure World unique is its focus on mobile play through the wealth of Wi-Fi hotspots available around the world. The game contains more than 2,500 separate in-game items/treasure such as trees, flowers, candy, outfits, plants, etc., which are automatically unlocked as players access the more than 200 million Wi-Fi treasure spots worldwide that are registered within the game. Only a certain number of these items are accessible from a single Wi-Fi hotspot. This means that although the game can be played from a single location, players must take their DS with them wherever they go and access new Internet connections in order to continue to collect new items. Once players have a sufficient amount of items they can be used to decorate in-game environments.

http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-World-Nintendo-DS/dp/B0024KI7AE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1263889599&sr=1-1

German Kinect launch uses projection mapping

In Germany they like to do things bigger and more dramatically.  Take for example the recent launch of Kinect for Xbox.  A huge interactive art installation using projection mapping was created especially for this event.  Although they weren't playing any Kinect game, the idea is that you can play games by moving your body.  Keep playing my friends!

Xbox Kinect Launch - Interactive Art Installation from seeper on Vimeo.

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Wii Fitness Party

Here is another game trailer from Japan that looks intriguing and vaguely similar to Dance! It's Your Stage and Dance Central but of course since it is Wii you will have to hold the controllers.  Once Nintendo comes out with a better camera than the Your Shape they too can go controller-less.

 

Posted via email from ExerGame Lab's posterous