Hologram gaming - hoax or the near future?
by Ben Zackheim 
{ Feb 1st 2005 at 2:08PM }
Go to this link, and tell us what you think. Is this for real? It walks a fine line between "obviously" staged, and
intriguing.
Anyone up for a basic translation of the French narration?
We've linked to the digs post, but if you want to dive right into the Real Player clip, click
here.
[Thanks Ray Midge!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Barry O'Neil @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
I saw something similar at a Siggraph convention a couple years ago - a guy was projecting a 3d car (life-sized) into the space next to him on a monitor. He could move the camera around the space where the car would be and the car was shown from all respective angles on the screen. No interaction with real objects that I can remember, though.
Greg @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Since Time Traveller (the first "hologram" game) came out in 1991, it's about time.
http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=10124
Yeah, I know it's not the same thing. Still.
norebonomis @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
i saw this the other day off of kevin rose's blog. reminds me of that demo at um... i forget, but it used the dell handheld with the camera, pointed at empty train tracks and displayed an 'augmented reality' view with a CGI train running around the tracks. this is going to be awsome, but with head mounted displays ever be accepted?
Edward Zieba @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
It's not really a hologram, more like a motion capture system and a terrain mapping system combined. The really novel part about this is the sue of terrain mapping AND a video overly, and the level of accuracy they are achieving with this. i'm guessing they either did a laser-topography-scan of the table, or just spent a lot of time over trial-and-error.
I really like the way the car dissappears when it moves behind a real obstacle. That's pretty neat.
Markus @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Is this the Nintendo Revolution?
Ray Midge @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
I wondered if this was the 'Revolution" in Nintendo Revolution also - maybe some French game developers showing recorded themselves toying around with the technology.
But you would have to think there's some sort of do not disclose agreement going on so that they wouldn't want this to get out. So that makes ya think it's got to be one of the game crews homemeade 'fiddling around with the Nintendo tech' tape that made it onto the net somehow.
But the problem there is that the scene seems to have some post production music added onto it, almost like it were a scene from some French "Amazing Technology" show or some other. If there is a 'no disclose' (have to believe there is as Nintendo is playing so close to the vest) why would a game co. invite some French TV crew to show it off to? Kinda stupid no? If no French TV crew, then what - the game crew member decided to add music to his home video that, somehow, ooops, just happened to get out on the net?
It's either a hoax (seems unlikely after watching) or more probably, it's some french company showing off their tech which has nothing to do with Nintendo (unless N licensed the tech after the clip was made maybe?)
Anyway, that stuff better make it into a game somehow, somewhere.
CaptSnuffy @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Does this actually work or just a concept?!
Amazing!
Hey wait, isn't this a bit like that humna pacman thing where you use gps and wear a Head mounted display so you can see the little dots?
I thin kit's coo lhow that turning thing in the archway (whatever it is) reacts to the virtual car... well you can't really tell if it's reacting like it's motorized or if maybe the car just cant go through it. Nevertheless it's awesome.
magickam @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
I know french and tried to translate the best i could..
So the guy says that whith the virtual tray he places the car and then resize it. After he says that with the joystiq he can make it move and that he can go on the springboard.
Then he says that he can also go behind the model and so the car is half-hidden by a real object. Then to show the interactions with other real objects he will let the door push the car so he can pass under it. So this can prove that we could make playful scenarios that could be perfectly integrated in a kid's room. The idea would be to positionate real time elements (like the door) that would interact with a game scenario. ( and then we see the helicopter fly and the guy with the gun)...
Edward Zieba @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6965
This system coupled with the linkied one could be a powerful combination. Real-time positional capture along with object-occulution 9real objects hide virtual ones) and interaction could be a MASSIVE leap forward for augmented reality.
Mason McDaniel @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
If anyone's seen the 1981 movie "Looker" about computer generated models/serial homicides, it has this stuff just like on the demo. Go rent it. It's crazy similar. Even with the gaffes and everything.
http://www.us.imdb.com/title/tt0082677/
Vernes @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
It's called 'Augmented Reality'.
It's a technology where virtual objects are 'near seamlessly' mixed with actual reality.
Imagine trying to land a plane but you are unfamilair with the exact landing-route. The system would take the GPS data of your helmet and generate a virtual tunnel through which you'd have to fly.
Btw, the article's name "Hologram Gaming" is misleading. This technology is not about holograms' but about "mixing the virtual with the real".
Emmanuel M @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
More from the same :
http://www.t-immersion.com/fr/
http://www.irisa.fr/lagadic/demo/demo-ar3/demo-ar3-eng.html
NW15062 @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
The particular page details one of three such projects with the Physical Optics Corporation (P.O.C.) of Torrance, California. This project is entitled "3-D Visualization System for Robotic Teleoperations" and is described as fololows.
High quality, real time 3-D visualization system with no position restrictions for viewing and no hardware for the viewer to wear.
Thats interesting in itself. But the potential bombshell is hidden under the heading Commercialization:
* $750,000 contract with U.S. Army to develop technology for medical imaging
* $300,000 of support from Japanese company to develop for game applications
I have just had a very interesting conversation with Rick Shie, the companys senior vice president. To begin with, I tried to pull the old trick on him, presupposing what you are actually asking about. So I asked him outright about Nintendos $300,000 involvement and what practical use the gaming giant was getting out of this investment. His answer was to note that he got plenty of mails about this matter today, already. He then went on to say that he is bound by a non-disclosure agreement (N.D.A.) and couldnt say too much about it. Mr. Shie didnt confirm the company in question was Nintendo, but he also never denied it. Given the fact that I boldly presupposed the connection in my question, I regard this a very likely scenario. Every company with such a contract is bound by an N.D.A., but that doesnt prevent them telling people who theyre NOT working with.