A recent demonstration at the CEATEC 2005
conference in Japan showed off the Cell processor's ability to mimic the movements and facial expressions of a model in
real-time. The display, essentially a digital mirror, used a camera to send information to the processor, which then
constructed a 3D image of what the camera had captured. The Cell mapped 500 unique coordinates, which were refreshed
100 times per second, creating a mirror effect as the model made faces.
We all remember Sony's liberal use of the term "Emotion Engine," which was supposed to describe the PS2's graphics chip. This latest Cell demonstration suggests that the PS3 chip has the potential to actually live up to that expectation. Imagine if the Cell, coupled with an upgraded EyeToy, could read our facial expressions, and use them to influence the direction of a game—or at the least, track our physical movements, so that our hands (or even entire bodies) became the controllers. Sure, the EyeToy already works like this, but with the Cell's increased processing power, the PS3 could be giving Nintendo's revolutionary concept a run for its money.
[Thanks, Ghazi]
