Video: Microsoft demos IllumiRoom off-screen projections

Video: Microsoft demos IllumiRoom off-screen projections

Thu 10 Jan 2013 9:51am GMT / 4:51am EST / 1:51am PST
Hardware Development

Kinect and projector display motion and images around the TV screen

Microsoft

Microsoft Research has shown off the IllumiRoom system at CES - a proof-of-concept designed to project movement and colour around the living room and enhance the entertainment experience.

"Our system uses the appearance and the geometry of the room (captured by Kinect) to adapt the projected visuals in real-time without any need to custom pre-process the graphics," said the research team.

According to the developers, "our system can change the appearance of the room, induce apparent motion, extend the field of view, and enable entirely new game experiences."

Watch the video below, captured live with no post production.

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9 Comments

Bruce Everiss

That could be really atmospheric and scary.
Will the home experience, with this interactivity, come to exceed the Cinema experience when it comes to immersion and suspending disbelief?

Posted:4 months ago

#1

Thomas Dolby
Programmer

All I can say is I want one.

Posted:4 months ago

#2

Julian Williams
CEO

It's great to see the Beamatron idea being developed into a product. Let's hope they go on to ditch the telly altogether.

Posted:4 months ago

#3

Dan Howdle
Editor - X360 Magazine

Imagine Publishing

Not so much with the screen-extending stuff, but the subtler effects, like snow, have some serious potential. The key here would be for developers to use it modestly, otherwise you might as well just buy a bigger display.

Posted:4 months ago

#4

Bruce Everiss

@ Dan Howdle

So true. As a pilot the first time you land with snow covering the airfield it is difficult to judge rounding out. This is because you usually take subliminal cues from the grass textures. Snow has different height related textures so your brain gets different messages.
It would be really cool to integrate this sort of subtlety into games.

Posted:4 months ago

#5

Rod Oracheski
Editor

Interesting, if impractical for most households.

Posted:4 months ago

#6

kevin williams

As I am sure we all are - I am very wary of MS 'demos', compared to what might(?) be released down the road.
Remember that Philips' undertook a similar approach (color only) with their "Ambilight Spectra" TV systems- but this proposal is moving into the '3D Projection Mapping' sector (we use this technology in the DOE scene). To be able to achieve the level of immersion purported in the demo video, we are talking about a $3k projector hooked up to KINECT SDK (if not KINECT+)!

I would be very unhappy to see MS Research attempt to just field "great idea tech" with no reality of this stuff actually appearing in the foreseeable future- as a spoiler against competition in down periods (some of us still waiting for MS to release Milo)!

Posted:4 months ago

#7

Dan Lowe
3D Animator

Ubisoft Montreal

Nice idea but why would anyone buy a projector and not buy a screen for it?

Posted:4 months ago

#8

kevin williams

Okay, its a "Proof-of-Concept" - not a demonstration of a final design concept?
More information here: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/illumiroom/

Posted:4 months ago

#9

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