Looking to amp up your bath time excitement? Yeah, me neither, but maybe couples who like to drop acid durring bath time would get a kick out of this one. All you need is a projector mounted above your bathtub (yeah, that's safe) and a little OFX know-how and you too can turn your bath time bubbles into psychedelic masterpieces.
The Kinect's ability to track your head and the angle at which you are looking at something lends itself to some really great perspective related applications. Take for example YOKE's latest interactive display called Digitalt.
This illusion is achieved by making an interactive area in front of the screen which allows the participant to view the digital environment at different angels, thus giving the impression that the space behind the screen is somewhat responding to real life perspectives.
Have you ever wanted to take a trip to some location you've never visited, just to see the sites? All of the famous landmarks you've heard so much about but never had the chance to really get to check out because actually going there would cost an arm and a leg. I know I have, and as an alternative, often times I've hopped onto Google Maps street view and have taken virtual strolls down New Yorks Times Square, or did my best Beatles impression by walking scrolling across Abbey Road in Westminster, London.
Who you tryin' to get crazy with ese? Don't you know I'm loco? Yes, this latest hack may very well prove to be infact - wait for it… insane in the membrane, insane in the brain. Using the depth sensing wonderfulness of our little buddy Kinect, this project allows the user to manipulate an elastic memberane with projected images that react with real life physics properties by having them "gravitate" to the area on the membrane that is being pushed inward.
In the spirit of development and just getting to know things in a better way, Rik Sabino recently put together a very cool project that ultimately has ended up being one of the most impressive presentation of a resume…ever. What a creative way to present your portfolio to a potential employer! The software is free to download so go check it out over at http://n0n4m3.codingcorner.net/?p=557.
When people ask me "What kinds of hacks can be done with the Kinect" For some reason, I always happen to give this one example. Picture yourself waiting at the bus station. I know this may be a stretch for those of you ou there that are lucky enough to have your own means of transportation, but bear with me. You have about 20 minutes to kill. Wouldn't it be cool to have a television equipped with a Kinect that you could interact with in a "hands free" fashion?
This interactive puppet display was developed by the team at yoke.dk and was created for the frederica theatre in denmark. The purpose of the project was to allow the audience to interact with a puppet from the show once they were finished watching the performance. Audience members were able to control the arms of one of the stars in the show creating another level of immersion that connects the the audience with the performers in a more interactive way.
What happens when you integrate hardware level lighting mixed with programming that interprets Kinect tracking data. Mind explosions, that's what. Check out this brilliant example of an interactive display which uses individual bulbs that light up to create a silhouette of Kinect tracked user. The system works great and is very precise in terms of how the bulbs light up to create the shape of the user being tracked.
After reading Wired magazine's incredible article on feedback loops, I became extremely interested in the possibility of teaching people better habits without wagging a finger at them or slapping them with a fine. The ability to recognize our own shortcomings and be compiled to change those habits should be instilled in us -- you'd think! It turns out, if most of us can get away with it, that'll be our path of least resistance.
After a year or documenting all kinds of visually stunning interactive displays, I've noticed that over time, the technical sophistication and level of creativity becomes more and more refined. Take for example Party in the City, a gorgeous use of colours and that increasingly become more vibrant as users motion towards the display. The users are able to to wipe clean the colours restoring the interactive images to its original state.