Xbox Display - IllumiRoom by Samsung / Microsoft

[hub2]

http://www.engadget....om-with-images/

Microsoft just demonstrated an interesting Xbox display accessory at the Samsung CES keynote that apparently fills up the room with images and lights beyond the confines of a television screen. We were shown a video of someone playing Xbox games and making it seem like it's snowing in the room, for example. It's unclear how the technology is being implemented, but we were promised it wasn't just video tricks and was indeed a video of a lab demo. We'll try to suss out the details for more.

So basically there a projector in the TV (and elsewhere?) that projects part of the game on to the walls, ceiling, and floor of your room to immerse you in the game. Looks pretty cool, but gimmicky.

Edit: Original thread from September 2012 about the patent:

[RubberJohnny]

We had a thread for the original patent for this didn't we? It's impossible to search for because people have made a bazillion next gen threads.

Anyway, not really sold on the ability to have corpses and atrocities decorating the room.

[hub2]

Ha, that's pretty cool Yeah, I remember seeing the patent picture thingy for that. I'll see if I can find it.

Throwing your arms up in the air like you're doing a mexican wave when saying "illumiroom" like harry hill is really satisfying.

This one?

[NecroMorrius]

Imagine that with the 180 degree Quake 1 FOV

[88h88]

It'd be fairly sweet and offer a cunty advantage if you had a massive white wall to play on but then you have a projector so why use a TV?

[Plums]

The advert makes me want to smash things but that's actually quite a good idea.

[NecroMorrius]

Maybe it could project the likeness of a poorly modelled bald space marine onto the person sitting next to you.

[hub2]

I guess it's just a logical extension of the Philips Ambilight:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambilight

and AmBX

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AmBX

[RubberJohnny]

Actually the one bit that did impress me is where it sort of puts highlight lines on the edges of your furniture and then has them ripple when you're pulling the trigger, it made it look as if what you're doing is shaking the whole room.

[hub2]

It could be quite cool in a creepy survival horror with shadows and object moving in your peripheral vision - there could even be some cool 'it's behind you' moments.

[geldra]

It could project seedy arcade den surroundings into that Capcom Arcade App.

[ZOK]

I can't see how that wouldn't be more of a distraction while gaming than a benefit, really. That, or Fahrenheit 451 is closer than we think.

[Vin]

Child of Eden on that setup.

Man, I'd trip the fuck out.

[DocG]

Is this sci-fi nonsense, or is there some barely feasible way this is possible using technology that might exist in the next couple of years and not involve scattering equipment all around the room? Not trolling, genuine question -- it looks nifty but I suspect it's just like that glossy vid MS showed a year or so back that had people using smartphones made of an entirely transparent slice of glass. In other words, a nice idea, but not very relevant to real life.

[Harsin]

I suspect that this is one of those things that will only work properly if you have one of those living rooms that only exist in marketers heads (hip grinning young multi-ethnic friends optional).

[hub2]

I can see game geeks taking an interest in interior design before unknown to their other halves. That and a trend towards Scandinavian minimalism.

[kerraig UK]

Its such a heartbreaking insight into the minds of Microsoft that 99% of the footage there is from an FPS. Imagine crowds in a footie game all around, or spookyness in a horror game...

[hub2]

This is Microsoft, in reality it will be adverts.

Edit: The snow was quite cool though.

[b00dles]

I think choosing an FPS was a really daft idea, as the telly / monitor is meant to be your eyes, hence the bloody name. In all those FPS shots it looked really weird because your gun was then floating above and in front of what you were seeing, in a little window. It would give a much better effect in third person or in the very brief random kart game example (with a girl surprised it wasn't all pink) or as mentioned, a sports game.

As per all adverts though, it's not really aimed at people that think about that sort of thing.

EDIT: Incidentally, if anyone could be bothered to merge, I started the thread on that patent http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?/topic/264858-microsoft-patents-3d-projected-games/

[errollw]

Is this sci-fi nonsense, or is there some barely feasible way this is possible using technology that might exist in the next couple of years and not involve scattering equipment all around the room? Not trolling, genuine question -- it looks nifty but I suspect it's just like that glossy vid MS showed a year or so back that had people using smartphones made of an entirely transparent slice of glass. In other words, a nice idea, but not very relevant to real life.

Definitely feasible, and a pretty cool idea

• Scan room with a Kinect, build a 3D model of static objects. KinectFusion can do this now, but Kinect2 (which we're all waiting for) can probably get a high-definition 3D image of a room in one go.
  
• Calculate projection matrix for walls, ceiling, based on tracked viewer's head position
  
• Project desired images onto room as if it were an extension of the screen, or to induce perceived motion effects (e.g. ripples / vibrations)
  

The projection is the hard part - projectors are still way too expensive. In 2005/6 researchers kinda hoped for cheap-ish HD projectors that we could overlap with to create huge, affordable high resolution displays. To display something across a whole room will require several HD projectors overlapping.

[smithstock]

I think that looks quality, detail off the edge of the screen doesn't need to be high because you can only see on the peripheral anyway.

Looks like it doesn't work in a lit room though, or does it?

[Guest]

Definitely feasible, and a pretty cool idea

• Scan room with a Kinect, build a 3D model of static objects. KinectFusion can do this now, but Kinect2 (which we're all waiting for) can probably get a high-definition 3D image of a room in one go.
  
• Calculate projection matrix for walls, ceiling, based on tracked viewer's head position
  
• Project desired images onto room as if it were an extension of the screen, or to induce perceived motion effects (e.g. ripples / vibrations)
  

The projection is the hard part - projectors are still way too expensive. In 2005/6 researchers kinda hoped for cheap-ish HD projectors that we could overlap with to create huge, affordable high resolution displays. To display something across a whole room will require several HD projectors overlapping.

So not really feasible then.

[errollw]

So not really feasible then.

For the next couple of years, definitely feasible. The research parts have all been worked out, clearly.

Tech can move so fast - Occulus Rift is a good example. For so long, HMDs have been shit and expensive - most of the research was done in the 90s with expensive, heavy, shitty displays, and everyone forgot about it. Then suddenly there seems to actually be a good, affordable HMD just round the corner. It would be great if something similar happened with projectors.

Probably one wide-angle HD one will do it, you won't need the detail as it's being projected onto noisy surfaces in your peripheral vision, anyway.

[hat]

Just invest in a relatively inexpensive HD projector and screen and get the full experience.

This is just 'scan in my skateboard' round 2.

[The Mighty Ash]

A projector with screen isn't the same effect though is it.

[Asura]

Definitely feasible, and a pretty cool idea

• Scan room with a Kinect, build a 3D model of static objects. KinectFusion can do this now, but Kinect2 (which we're all waiting for) can probably get a high-definition 3D image of a room in one go.
  
• Calculate projection matrix for walls, ceiling, based on tracked viewer's head position
  
• Project desired images onto room as if it were an extension of the screen, or to induce perceived motion effects (e.g. ripples / vibrations)
  

The projection is the hard part - projectors are still way too expensive. In 2005/6 researchers kinda hoped for cheap-ish HD projectors that we could overlap with to create huge, affordable high resolution displays. To display something across a whole room will require several HD projectors overlapping.

You're missing a key thing though - even though with current Kinect tech and a couple of projectors we can practically do this, it can't all be done by one device from one angle. The Phillips AmBX thing was a crude attempt at this but at least the whole mechanism fit behind your TV. I really like this idea but I don't have the room (or plug sockets!) to plug in two other Kinect devices around my front room.

[DocG]

What Asura said. The surface the console needs to scan and project onto is the one it's sat against. So I need a second Kinect and a projector on the back wall of my living room? That's pretty elaborate, and a fair bit of clutter (the back wall of my living room doesn't even have any power outlets on it…)

[scottcr]

I think is cool. It won't work in my house and certainly not where my 360 sits...

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Child of Eden on that setup.

Man, I'd trip the fuck out.

The music would still be shit though.

[FishyFish]

Will this mean the resurgence of strip poker games?