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2009
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2007
Mobile Entertainment
Can Wii play on mobile? Motion sensing set to be the next big thing as consile technology makes the leap MOTION sensing did wonders for Nintendo’s Wii games console, but can it do the same for mobile? Toronto-based GestureTek thinks so. The company has developed a gesture-based control system, which is already used in Sony’s awardwinning EyeToy PlayStation gadget. Earlier this year it launched a mobile version of the technology called EyeMobile®Engine, which NTT DoCoMo built into its Panasonic P904i and Sharp SH904i handsets. Over one million of the devices have been sold and DoCoMo has around 70 Chokkan motion-sensitive games available. Now, GestureTek is preparing to take its technology a step further. It formally launched EyeMobile®Engine at CTIA last month, unveiling a partnership with Telefonica that will make motion-sensitive games available across the Spanish operator’s global network. It’s also talking to Hands-On about reaching out to smaller developers and claims to have had discussions with all the major mobile games publishers. The company is confident of success, having launched a small number of games with Verizon Wireless in the US. It worked with developers such as Super Happy Fun Fun and GoSub60 to create casual titles such as 3D Tilt A World and Camera Phone Darts. GestureTek has also experimented with Verizon Wireless in order to take its concept in to the menu structure of the phone, enabling users to browse by tipping and shaking the device. Similar UIs are, of course, available on the Apple iPhone and Sony Ericsson W910i. However, EyeMobile® is softwarebased and uses a phone’s camera to recognise and respond to hand and body movement. There’s no need for handset manufacturers to add specialised hardware. Ed Fowler, general manager of GestureTek, said: “Our experiences with DoCoMo in Japan and Verizon Wireless in the US prove to us just how huge the potential is for what we call ‘shake, rock and roll’ technology. I think it could have a huge impact on the mobile gaming space.” |
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GestureTek technologies have international patent protection. U.S patents include 5,534,917 (Video image based control system), 7,058,204 (Multiple camera control system), 7,227,526 (3D-vision image control system), 7,379,563 (Bi-manual movement tracker) and 7,379,566 (Optical flow-based tilt sensor). EyeMobile® is protected under patent TMA 700,194 with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for "mobile device application software featuring gesture recognition technology."