Sony's PS3 headtracking system does it all with a camera

We were already blown away by Johnny Lee's headtracking demo using a Wiimote, but it looks like Sony's trying to take it mainstream in a much slicker way. The company was demoing a PS3-based headtracking system at GDC that doesn't require any special IR glasses to function -- it just uses a bone-stock Playstation Eye camera to track your ugly mug around the room. Sony says it's not announcing the system for any games yet, but we can't imagine devs aren't clamoring for this to get official -- this would be amazing for all sorts of genres. Video after the break.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 3:21AM]

I agree with skulldriveshaft... and what a waste of CPU cycles... an inefficient tracking for a decent FPS except perhaps for "Dora the Explorer" and stuff like that.

[Wwhat Posted Feb 28th 2008 3:37AM]

hmm, so people leave their ps3 cameras on, connected to the internet, on a system that's the exact same everywhere so only one hack would be needed, and it's also connected to sony 'maker of rootkits'.

Draw your own conclusions.

[pk Posted Feb 28th 2008 5:06AM]

This can potentially add a lot to the gameplay!

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 28th 2008 10:04AM]

This is not much more than the tech in the current gen of Sony Cybershot cams, $299 at a store near you. Face recognition / auto focus. They added their eyetoy motion tracking code to the face auto-focus code. Voila, face tracking.

[2late2die Posted Feb 28th 2008 10:05AM]

Camera based tracking system is very dependent on the environment - lighting, noise, other people in the room, etc. IR glasses don't have to be goofy looking at all, in fact, they don't have to be glasses at all - why not attach IR emitters to the same headphones you use when you're playing with mic on - not exactly the slickest looking things on the street but nobody has trouble with them. And if you don't play with headphones then the IR emitters can have a bluetooth headset-like form factor. Cheaper, more effective, more reliable - if games start taking advantage of head tracking technology I think IR emitters is the way to go.

[BiHatch Posted Mar 2nd 2008 3:52PM]

These guys have a downloadable demo for the PC using a Quickcam:
http://www.kuubee.com

[Alex Atkin UK Posted Mar 5th 2008 12:36PM]

This system is pure crap, seriously.

I mean the Eyetoy worked brilliant .... in carefully controlled conditions. In my house however its next to useless as it picks up reflections off all the furniture and I do not have a big enough house to create an "Eyetoy safe room".

So yeah, in theory all these things can be done. But the REASON why it has to be done with silly glasses/headware is to make it work in ANY house regardless of what junk might otherwise confuse a camera.