The secret component to the PS3 hardware
by Adams Briscoe 
{ Jun 23rd 2006 at 10:20AM }
Some of you may recall from last year or around E3 2005 that a rumor was circulating stating that Sony was going to implement a motion-sensing feature similar to the technology seen in Minority Report. The idea was to be able to manipulate on-screen topography with nothing but your own movements and environment; no goofy peripherals needed.
Well according to a "very reliable source," this futuristic hardware will be coming from a stealthy Israeli company called Prime Sense. So what the heck does their component do anyway? "Prime Sense's interactive device can see, track and react to user movements outside the computer, all without change of environment or wearable equipment for the end user."
Think EyeToy on steroids. This description follows closely to a tech demo that Sony showed off at an event last year in LA. But if this technology is so awesome, who knows why Sony didn't make a bigger deal out of it this year. The source also claims that the device will be available on launch day for the PS3, and ready for PC users in the following months. It would be nice to hear more about this from Sony to get a better picture, but for now just think about all the crazy game applications this could provide and file it under "rumors."
[Thanks, Anthony B]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Paul @ Jun 23rd 2006 10:40AM
every time an announcement like this comes out I get excited and nervous at the same time. Having new tech is ultra cool, but it also is one more thing that could go wrong. I mean... is this really necessary? or is the controler somehow tied into this and we are gonna see a suprise that blows thw wii outta the water?
LongshotX @ Jun 23rd 2006 11:12AM
I'll believe it when I see it.
SuicideNinja @ Jun 23rd 2006 11:54AM
This wouldn't make much sense.
If Sony was fully prepared to disappoint everyone by using the same damn controller form factor as the PS1/PS2 and then "slyly" adding motion sensing that's been around since the 90's, wouldn't something like this "save the day?" Even so however, it's an add-on. We know how well those do.
I vote pure rumor.
Fan @ Jun 23rd 2006 12:52PM
Well this has to be related to the new eye toy or eye sense or what they call it.
Its supposed to be able to take a pic of you then model your full body in 3d in a game.
cakefoo @ Jun 23rd 2006 1:17PM
"Think EyeToy on steroids. This description follows closely to a tech demo that Sony showed off at an event last year in LA."
--------------------------
Anyone know what tech demo that would be, and could we get a video of it?
Butterman @ Jun 23rd 2006 4:39PM
I smell hype.
Kid Muscle @ Jun 23rd 2006 4:54PM
Maybe Sony plans to unveil this stuff at E3 2007.... Why would Sony reveal ALL their secrets this year, and then have nothing to show at next years E3? They are in desperate need of a positive E3 showing...this could be one point that will help boost their appeal next year.
CK @ Jun 23rd 2006 9:18PM
This thing that always comes to mind when I see stuff like this is that Sony suck hard at PR, and absolutely own at keeping a lid on features of unreleased products.
Roll on November so we can actually see what's under the hood of this thing.
bobeotm @ Jun 23rd 2006 10:59PM
Sony at some industry conference last year demoed some ideas they had been working on at the time, and there was all this talk about being able to controll things without any wearable items, and about minority report. I dont have a link, its been over a year ago. However, something may indeed be up sony's sleeve, after all, their last major convention to show stuff before launch is at the Tokyo Games show, which as last year was, an important event for information.
Fan @ Jun 23rd 2006 11:20PM
Oh yeah this is some really old footage supposedly showing eye toy 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58hfb9ZxzK8&search=eye%20toy%20ps3
ZRX @ Jun 24th 2006 12:18AM
This PS3 option is highly possible. The latest non-contact dimensional inspection technology is photogrammetry (easier for you to Google it than me try and explain it). Basically, it's simple digital cameras with complex math/software able to calculate very accurately changes of points in 3D space by analyzing digital images at a sub-pixel level by interpolation.
It's real and proven technology that is getting more popular in aerospace and automotive manufacturing.
Anthony Ball @ Jun 24th 2006 1:16AM
Yay, a story I submitted finally got picked up.
Cole @ Jun 24th 2006 1:17AM
#7. Did you read the blog at all? They plan to implement this software/hardware/rumor into PS3.... what would be the point of "unveiling" something at e3 2007 that is already on the marketplace?
It would be like Ford coming out and saying "Oh yeah, by the way, we are producing the Ford GT." Why have a press release for that?
The post also claims that you will not need any periferals....... does that mean the PS3 will have an eye? I dont get it. It is software that senses motion in the body and reacts to the surrounds. You still need some sort of sensing device and something to project it.
AKA LAME POST!
altodarknight @ Jun 24th 2006 1:47AM
This is very similar to the xbox 360 camera. They have motion jesture that tracks 3D movement as opposed to the eyetoy 1's 2D motion tracking. There was a tech demo at E3 about it. Google it, it was called motion gesture or gesturetech sore something in that vain.
This tech seems more fesable an usable than Wii's motion tracking based on it being mainly software based as opposed to hardware.
Vultaro @ Jun 24th 2006 1:40PM
Well you never know.... This could be a very good stratergy by Sony to rake up on Holiday sales....
Think about it. Before releasing the PS3, sometime in advance they release official news with trailers
and such to get into the heads of gamers - no time to think, no time for ppl to try and pick out flaws in the technology... PPl will just 1 more reason to run out and get the console.
I also believe u ll need some addon component to have this work, another way to make some good money.
But, I do believe that using this kind of technology would be great for games as well as the ingame menus. Also it could work as ur mouse while the browsing the net.
Kid Muscle @ Jun 24th 2006 5:25PM
@13
Yeah I read it, but obviously at E3 2006 they had nothing to show for it, and when they do have something to show....why rush and release it at an ambiguos time? They can implement it now, and wait until they have something worth showing...a demo or whatever and it can be released at E3 2007 when they better understand how to use it.
Why lay all you cards out on the table immediatley? Nintendo did that and look what happened...now they are not the only console with a motion controller.
Meridian @ Jun 26th 2006 9:55AM
The way our, very reliable, source was reminded of Minority Report has to do with a scene in the movie in which a user manipulates a computer screen using special gloves; only with this tech you do not need the gloves. This reminds us of what Gesture Tek have hinted is possible with XBox 360 but taken one big step further.