Monday, April 30, 2012

The Ways of a Game Controller


Game controllers are not just for your game console anymore. Several creative people have hacked game controllers into whatever their heart desires. In a blog by Jean Aws, he describes that he had two of his own projects using the Kinect. His Robotic Mimicry uses the Kinect to interact with machines. It senses his hand in 3d and the data is transferred to the robot which mimics the hand's motions. The other kRC, the Kinect switched places of a typical remote control for a helicopter.

Another interesting use for a game controller is what Tots on Bots team at Ithaca College came up with only using a baby chair, a Wii Balance Board, and a small mobile robot. Sitting in the baby chair the child can lean in any  direction and the Wii Balance Board can sense which direction to move the robot. When the child relaxes the robot stops.

In Moullines's Catalina video, graphics were made using software with the 3d data set from Kinect. Music has been made using the WiiMote and a little hacking. The Kinect has a 3d camera where you can scan or photograph an object for 3d printing.
The data collected can then be 3d printed into a souvenir such as Be our Own Souvenir by Blablalab. The same data can be used by a DSLR camera creating amazing abstract photography.

One other fascinating idea is the use of Playstation Move controllers and custom software. The brains of coders, hackers and designers have given capability of writing with eye movement with their design Playstation Eye was attached to a pair of glasses for tracking. The uses for gaming controllers are endless with a little imagination.

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