Motion Capture Gaming

Later this year, Microsoft will release an upgraded version of their Kinect sensor system with the Xbox One console. While the original Kinect changed the way we interact with games, the new system promises to change the way our games interact with us.

The concept involves gathering large amounts of data from the gamer and using it to change the course of the game. For example, a high-speed, high-resolution camera can detect intricate and subtle movements such as blinking and muscles flexes, and built-in infrared sensors estimate heart rate through fluctuations in facial blood flow. This information might be used to vary the intensity of the action. Higher quality microphones and improved voice recognition could allow users to invite a confrontation or create a distraction (like screaming at a Zombie).

And more sensors are being developed every day to make gaming more immersive than ever, including eye-tracking systems and body-position detectors that adjust a player’s viewpoint based on their movement.