It's not like the modding community at large hasn't shoved accelerometers within vehicles before, but conjuring up projects that utilize acceleration sensing just got a whole lot easier thanks to the USB TiltStick. Reportedly, the minuscule device features a two axis acceleration sensor and emulates a USB joystick in order to play nice with any USB-equipped host. In particular, a standard PC or Nokia's N810 makes for the perfect comrade, and what you do from there is really only limited by your imagination. Granted, only the DIY veterans in attendance should give this one any serious consideration, but feel free to jump on through the break to catch it interfacing with N810.

[Via Internet Tablet Talk]

Although the battle for next-gen supremacy is in full swing, the best-selling console in the land remains the venerable PS2, so it was only a matter of time before developers tried to cash in on the buzz surrounding Wii by cranking out some motion-sensing titles for Sony's older machine. First up to the plate is In2Games, which will add to its existing motion sensing catalog with the announcement of Realplay Golf, Tennis, Pool, Racing, Bowling, and Puzzlesphere at the Leipzig Games Convention later this month. The $60 games each come with a custom motion sensing controller, enabling players to fill their homes with as many crazy peripherals as possible. We're all for more motion controlled games -- especially if the controllers are as hackable as the SIXAXIS and Wiimote -- but if In2Games really wanted to bring the next-gen experience to the PS2, they'd take out the rumble, no?

Recall that motion-sensing patent from the Big N just, oh, two days ago? Turns out that may have a thing or two to do with the recent slide controller accessory unveiled for the Japanese market. Bundled in with the game Slide Adventure: Mag Kid, the device plugs directly into the GBA cartridge slot of the DS / DS Lite and essentially allows you to set the handheld on a flat surface and slide around 'til your heart's content. Unfortunately, there's no dirt on whether or not this peripheral will ever be released outside of Japan (sound familiar?), but for those making their home in Tokyo, you can become the envy of us all by picking the bundle up for ¥5,800 ($49). Click on for some closer shots of the slide controller itself, and check out a videoed demonstration here.

[Via GameSpot]

We can imagine that quite a few of you sea-dwellers out there would love to just escape reality and cross the Atlantic on a solar-powered vessel, but for those who can't withstand a full ten minutes at sea without heading for the railing, Seakeeper feels your pain. Busting out a pair of advanced stability systems, the firm is hoping to give boaters a much smoother ride whilst crashing the waves. The 7000 Gyro system is designed for boats 35-feet and up, and quells rolling by tilting at angles determined by a connected motion sensing computer, while the simpler Stability Control system operates by replacing traditional trim tabs and controlling pitch, roll, and yaw. Unfortunately, each setup comes at a lofty price, with the Gyro 7000 ringing up at $55,000 (plus installation), and the latter costing a stiff $21,500.

[Via Gizmag]

Gee, Sony, we're a bit confused now why you found the combination of motion sensing and rumble so difficult. It looks like it took SplitFish a bit of effort, but 4 patents later and they've got their new MotionFX adapter, which clips onto a regular 'ol PS2 or PS1 controller and allows for motion-based control, without disabling that fancy rumble feature we've heard so much about. Could it be you were just in such a rush to tack on rumble, with Wii breathing down your neck? Or was it that pesky lawsuit? We're just curious, is all. A MotionFX will cost you guys $39.99, and should be available in stores now, just in case you wanted to check one out.

Hoo boy, now it's really on. Sure, motion sensing controllers have existed in some sense or another for a while now, but ever since Nintendo got into the game with their Wiimote, and Sony followed suit with the SIXAXIS, a good bit of interesting tech is starting to surface. Case in point, the new motion-sensing tech from In2Games, codenamed "Fusion," takes things to a whole new level, providing for accurate on-screen representation of your motions, not just an approximate like on the Wii or the PS3. The tech apparently works with "sound waves and other technical wizardry," though those dots on the various controller remind us a bit of a motion capture setup. The benefit of all this is that your motions are tracked just as they happen in real space, and you don't need to have the controller pointed at the sensor for it to work. Of course, as demonstrated by video demonstration of the unit, this also means you'll need a good bit of room to swing your arms, and might make things like same console multiplayer quite difficult. There's also the fact that software support will be relatively minimal, but In2Games is making things as easy as possible, since the sensor connects via USB, and therefore should be interoperable with the next-gen consoles. They should be launching Fusion Q3 '07 for "sub-£30" (around $56 US), so that shouldn't be too hard to swallow either. Along with tennis, baseball, lightsaber, golf and bowling controllers pictured above, the Fusion controller also comes in a version shaped like a traditional next-gen controller, but which can be split apart for performing motion-sensed moves. It's pictured after the break.

[Via Joystiq]

A few juicy hints were dropped by Microsoft's Robert Walker on Monday in regards to a special FPS controller in the works for the Xbox 360. His comments were made at Gamefest in Seattle, and he was quick to clarify that Microsoft has no concrete plans for the device, but that it's more of a long term exploration. Sadly, it's no replacement for the tried-and-true keyboard/mouse combination: Microsoft is merely working on a new right analog stick that would be better with the precise movements required for FPS and game types. The controller wouldn't replace the current, well-praised offering, but would merely be an option for enthusiasts and competitive types. Microsoft is also dropping more hints about some sort of motion sensing technology implementation in a future 360 controller, stating that their experiments with joysticks weren't well promoted to developers, but playing it safe by dissing the sensitivity of the tech for FPS and racing use. The main question seems to be: will it rumble?

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Apparently the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea doesn't mind students going a little out of the box for their masters thesis projects, seeing as they let Haiyan Zhang develop an interesting system intended to translate the motion of everyday objects into input devices for simple video games. When the Control Freak device is clamped onto a "host object," whether it's a door, an office chair or your lab partner, it starts interpreting the host's sounds and movements, representing them as simple actions in a selection of specially designed flash games. The video demonstrations on the site suggest it has a long way to go before it catches up to the refinement of Nintendo's Wiimote, but it's already a heck of a lot better than the Powerglove ever was (don't front). On a related note, we have to wonder if this school gives out masters degrees for turning video game controllers into everyday objects.