I wrote about the Kinect and the evolution of the UI a couple of months back.
Typically when a new technology comes along, developers will get hold of it and produce some fairly gimmicky work, but which shows the world the sort of things that are possible with the new kit. In time, more serious applications are developed that start to provide real value to users, and so, inexorably the technology matures. This is the journey we've been on with Augmented Reality, for example.
So, predictably, gesture-based interaction beyond gaming is already starting to appear out in the wild. It's a bit gimmicky, but that's to be expected. Here's one involving an electric skateboard:
Pretty cool. The skater controls his speed by raising and lowering his hands, just like gamers do on many, many racing games for iPhone and iPad, except for real.
Second, gestures that do away with the TV remote.
Watch from about 2' 10". It's a bit more useful, but still ultimately a gimmick. It's quite a long way from gaming however, so a sign that the technology is moving quickly away from its roots.
Expect to see a lot more of this sort of thing over the coming months, particularly as developers get to grips with the Kinect SDK. The opportunities for marketers are clear, with utility and entertainment provided via gesture in any physical space, from conferences to trade shows to events to retail. It'll be throwaway to begin with, but that's OK. The signs are that we're already figuring this fantastic new technology out.
Comments