Sony nabs patent for everyday object motion detection: the fragile glass of your TV won't know what hit it

All we've got to say is that they'd better be selling seats to the first living room demonstration of this tech when somebody gets cute and grabs a real baseball bat for a demo. Sony has filed a patent for technology using the PlayStation Eye which can detect regular objects in 3D space and file them away in a database for later use in gameplay. Naturally, the camera already does object motion detection of a sort with the blocky embedded codes on Eye of Judgement cards, but this seems to be taking that tech to a new level, and would imply that you won't necessarily need to be waggling that goofy ball-on-a-stick controller that Sony demoed at E3 for all upcoming motion control titles for the PS3. But for some reason we're sure we should be scared of whatever combination it does turn out to be.

[Via Joystiq]

[robertk1337 @ Jul 5th 2009 10:18AM]

Yay! Let's break some HDTVs, clumsy gamers!

[MeowR- @ Jul 5th 2009 10:23AM]

They'll have to give us wrist straps that we can attach to anything, or any MLB game is gonna cause plenty of trouble.

[cozza99 @ Jul 5th 2009 10:45AM]

The camera would also need to know the depth perception of the object. So in theory, if you held up a baseball bat right close to the camera, you would have a giant freakin' bat in the game as well. :)

[Funky @ Jul 5th 2009 2:54PM]

Also, the illustration shows the upcoming Electromagnetic Radiation Dowser Hero game.

[solarshadows074 @ Jul 5th 2009 4:51PM]

@saad, you sad sad person don't do your research, do you?
eyetoy also did all the object, voice and movement recognition
waay before motion controlling. no one just gave a crap about it.
now microsoft come in and they were like
"O HEY THATS COOL. LETS USE IT TO COMPETE FOR THE WII AND WHILE WE'RE AT IT, LET US ALSO IMPROVE IT AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE'RE THE FIRST ONE WHO MADE THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY"

[solarshadows074 @ Jul 5th 2009 4:52PM]

dammit, that's supposed to be a respones to saad's comment below.

[OneLove @ Jul 6th 2009 11:05AM]

I can finally play horseshoes indoors!

[Templarian @ Jul 5th 2009 10:18AM]

Doesn't Project Natal do this I thought?

Zombie game, got myself a chair, bat, and a few random objects. Lets play.

[Patrick @ Jul 6th 2009 12:04PM]

Yes, they are desperately trying to play catch-up.

[MeowR- @ Jul 5th 2009 10:22AM]

Can I use my pets too?

[roach @ Jul 5th 2009 11:09AM]

I remembered a video where a kid used project natal to scan his skateboard

[AB101 @ Jul 21st 2009 8:11AM]

I did not know that Natal was shipping yet so how can it be playing catch up.

In fact, Sonys tech may well be out before Natal.

[Ariel @ Jul 5th 2009 12:18PM]

yes but as I recall the PS2 already had a basic version of controller-free gameplay with the eye-toy. Sony is just improving this technology with the playstation eye. They aren't playing catch-up or anything

[Jon Graft @ Jul 5th 2009 1:59PM]

No company plays catch up with Microsoft...Microsoft plays "copy and destroy".

[Saad Rabia @ Jul 5th 2009 2:46PM]

Ariel and Jon, as until this moment I have never seen a company introduce or demo a device that recognizes objects, faces, voices and movements all in one tool for a gaming device, except for Natal.

Microsoft isn't playing catchup nor is stealing an idea, they are improving and taking many ideas and putting them in one single place within your home entertainment system.

If you disagree then buy your awesome eye-toy and/or keep writing your "Microsoft is evil" essays forever.

[Kiv @ Jul 5th 2009 9:29PM]

you guys are all wrong. all of it is garbage! long live minesweeper!

[Wwhat @ Jul 6th 2009 10:00PM]

MS isn't doing anything but talk, pure hot air "maybe something will be released, but if so it'll be more than 2 years from now".
So stop acting like 'project natal' is a tangible thing, it is not.

[Jimmy Karlström @ Jul 5th 2009 11:05AM]

natal rip-off

[bartoron @ Jul 5th 2009 11:23AM]

Natal doesn't use a controller. The oddly-shaped object in the man's hand appears to be some sort of controller.

If anything, it's more of a Wii ripoff.

[kevin @ Jul 5th 2009 1:31PM]

@bartoron

"Sony has filed a patent for technology...which can detect regular objects in 3D space"

How did you translate "regular objects" to mean specialized remote control?

[Celedhring @ Jul 5th 2009 10:23AM]

I wonder how many of those patents are based on actual working technology or are just cheeky attempts by companies to register any concept they can come up with and then sue whoever is actually able to create the tech.

I don't know much of patent law, what kind of proof do you have to provide to patent a technology?

[DG @ Jul 5th 2009 11:05AM]

Your exactly right, they probably will just sit with the patent and wait for someone to try and copy it. To patent some thing you need nothing more than the idea.

[3rdsun @ Jul 5th 2009 4:11PM]

Exactly what Apple does

[OneLove @ Jul 6th 2009 11:07AM]

Did they have to draw the goatie?

[sven.kirk @ Jul 5th 2009 10:23AM]

Woo Hoo! More useless patents! I won't be holding my breath for any (Sony PS3/PS2 backward compatibility) patents until I actually see the tech demoed.

[derX @ Jul 5th 2009 10:28AM]

The guy in the picture looks like he's getting ready to attack the set up with a magnet.

[Argot @ Jul 5th 2009 12:27PM]

I was thinking: Boomerang, your doing it wrong!

[Matt @ Jul 5th 2009 10:36AM]

Will it recognize the Wii-Mote?

[10minutehobo @ Jul 5th 2009 2:21PM]

+1

[Major4Play @ Jul 5th 2009 10:37AM]

"Sony nabs patent for everyday object motion detection"

NO Engadget they applied for a patent is has yet to be awarded but congratulations on the headline have you ever thought of starting the worlds first gadget themed tabloid newspaper ?

[Arran @ Jul 5th 2009 10:40AM]

Gotta love Bill Hicks.

[Joseph @ Jul 5th 2009 10:42AM]

If they had nab the patent, Peter Molyneux might have to pay Sony some money to make his Xbox game.

[WindowsFTW @ Jul 5th 2009 2:56PM]

Exactly.

Very very poor choice of words on Engadget's part.

Besides, Project Natal already does this and more.

Nothing to see hear folks, besides some shoddy reporting.

[Mike @ Jul 6th 2009 7:32AM]

Bill Hicks is a legend... +1, just for your Display pic

[bartoron @ Jul 5th 2009 10:54AM]

That picture is ridiculous looking.

[Agurri @ Jul 5th 2009 11:07AM]

Hum, looks like if i'm doing the devils sign with mmy hand, my TV will recognize it and change channel ... awesome

[cyriac.kandoth @ Jul 5th 2009 4:57PM]

I like how they very purposefully gave the guy a goatie.

[mitchdunc @ Jul 5th 2009 11:07AM]

well, if this patent tells the future, my playstation 3 is going to have more life and wont get outdated by the ps3 slim that everyone's talking about!

[stsfin @ Jul 5th 2009 11:53AM]

Im more interested in the cordles ps eye thats potrayed here.

[prophet @ Jul 5th 2009 11:43AM]

Looks like the guy is enjoying Extreme horseshoeing 4.

[Gavin @ Jul 5th 2009 11:50AM]

That was funny. I +1 for that.

[gunnville @ Jul 5th 2009 11:48AM]

does anyone else think that the chair is totally unnecessary?

[Distractedfocus @ Jul 5th 2009 11:53AM]

I have gone through 5 Plasmas and now have a big net in front of my tv due to the others in the Extreme Horseshoeing series. and the wrist strap just takes away the real "all in the wrist" action that I need to win. This is one great Idea I someone takes it I will sue, and and create a Archery game with my winnings. This is proof so don't try it.

[dcoaster @ Jul 5th 2009 11:57AM]

Now we can finally play virtual horseshoes...

[BigTeebo @ Jul 5th 2009 12:47PM]

That's what I was thinking too. He must be playing with low-resolution Atari-era horseshoes.

[SugarySnack @ Jul 5th 2009 11:58AM]

I wonder if it recognizes his chair. Also if you look at his facial expression, he looks kinda distressed. I wonder if it is because he is losing at Extreme Horseshoeing 4.

[Wwhat @ Jul 5th 2009 12:04PM]

They should make an iphone the supported controller item you have to hold, think of the support they'd get and what a perfect opportunity to wave about your iphone to show you got one and are oh so cool.

[Dayne @ Jul 5th 2009 1:28PM]

Hello?! Legend? Anyone? Ok, I will.
100 - Game Area (Preferably a parent's basement)
101 - Customer; goatee preferred, not necessary. (Sold Separately)
102 - Electromagnet; counters harmful radiation. (Sold Separately)
104 - PlaystationEye. (Patent Pending)
104a - Range of harmful radiation; See 2 Above.
106 - High-Definition TV (Sold Separately)
108 - Sony Playstation 3 (Slim Edition Only) (Sold Separately)
110 Dual Shock Controller; to be used when actually playing games. (Sold Separately)

[Ariel Horwitz @ Jul 5th 2009 2:26PM]

No, no, no.

100 - FIG. 1
101 - Human.
102 - Magnet. The humanoid thinks it will protect him against machines as he used to think garlic would help against vampires.
104 - AWP (Advanced Waveform Accelerator - a typical weapon used by machines against humans). Machines will eventually kill us all. We all know that.
104a - Range of angle of attack. Notice how it can easily hit any part of the human body at normal confrontation range. Machines typically like using radiation dangerous to humans, but it wouldn't mind using lasers or other waveforms if the primitive human manufacturer wouldn't equip it properly (vertical lines indicate typical ranges for different types of waveforms)
106 - Display. The human will get distracted, thinking he is playing a cool game.
108 - Machine. The reason machines will be so angry at us is because we make them so short.
110 - Remote control. If the human was intelligent enough, all he would have to do is press the power button and turn off the console.

[Dayne @ Jul 5th 2009 2:48PM]

What have the machines done to you?!

Well done.