Skip to main content

Softkinetic: When Your Body Becomes A Serious Game


Via: Softkinetic Press Room - Softkinetic Announces iisu Plug-in for Virtools
and WRAL Business - Like Wii? You Haven't Seen Anything In Game Technology

In 10 years, the gaming instruments we use today will look ridiculously old-fashioned.

The Nintendo Wii is big because it lets you move things on your screen with gestures of your hand, using a motion-sensitive paddle. But that’s nothing compared with what’s coming: controlling the screen with nothing in your hand at all. Very soon, you’ll be able to control an avatar or character on a screen with a mere gesture of your hands or body.

A range of companies are working on this dream.

Developer Softkinetic has recently announced that its body movement gesture recognition system iisu has officially been released, and is now available in Virtools' suite of 3D products.

Last February, at the Game Developers Conference, Virtools and Softkinetic announced a partnership to deliver tools to create immersive and intuitive user experiences in video games and Serious Games applications. Last week's announcement presents the first result of this partnership.

“The iisu plug-in is built with developers in mind,” said Eric Krzeslo, Chief Technical Officer, Softkinetic. “The addition of iisu to the Virtools suite of software solutions gives developers endless possibilities in creating new and innovative 3D applications.”

Softkinetic’s iisu is a gesture recognition system that has the ability to capture full body movements as well as isolate the intricate movements of a user’s body, such as arms or hands, to provide an unlimited number of interface options for developers to use in creating new gameplay applications. The iisu technology is compatible with most major 3D depth sensing cameras on the market. The product is meant to filter out furniture, walls, and other players when interacted with.

“We’re happy to see the rapid progress made by Softkinetic since GDC 2008, resulting in the availability of Softkinetic’s 3D gesture recognition middleware with our 3D game engine,” said Virgile Delporte, Vice President, Virtools. “This tool will give developers a new level of control and creation and we are excited about the future play experiences that will be created with it.”

The iisu plug-in product gives developers full access to Softkinetic’s API through the Virtools library. By combining Virtools’ 3D game engine with Softkinetic’s 3D gesture recognition it will provide endless possibilities for developers to create new 3D applications and will help leverage the assets provided by Virtools.

Other companies are GestureTek and Oblong, object of my prior posting GestureTek and Oblong: Serious Gaming With Gesture Recognition.

About Softkinetic

Softkinetic is a leading provider of natural interfaces that transform the way people interact with the digital world. Softkinetic enables a fully immersive, transparent, and intuitive user experience by providing 3D real-time gesture recognition middleware to Interactive Digital Entertainment, Consumer Electronics, and Serious Games companies.

Softkinetic, iisu, and Interface Is You are trademarks or registered trademarks of Softkinetic S.A.

About 3DVIA

3DVIA is Dassault Systèmes' brand for lifelike 3D product experiences. 3DVIA extends 3D to new users, businesses and consumers in order to create new communities with 3D as the common language. With its open web services-based architecture, it enables high-performance distribution of 3D content.

3DVIA also delivers authoring products that revolutionize 3D product publishing and the Virtools platform for developing interactive, real-time applications.

For more information about 3DVIA, go to Serious Games & 3DVIA Democratizing The Use Of 3D.