Xsens covered in EE Times CES 2011 edition

EE|Times CES 2011 edition:

3-D gesture control breaks out of the game box

"As much as hard-core gamers might value precision, it is less important for gaming itself than for game development or special-effects film animations. For animation pros, the Cadillac of gesture recognition is Xsens Technologies’ MEMS-studded bodysuit. The accelerometers and gyros on the suit enable the previsualization of animation sequences in real-time. Xsens uses Analog Devices’ high-precision three-axis accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers for detailed motion tracking. Used by the pros who created the effects for the movie “Iron Man 2” and the PS3 game “KillZone 2,” for example, the Xsens technology offers a motion capture solution that can be used anywhere, without the need for a complex infrastructure. Eventually, Xsens predicts, the technology will be cost-reduced for consumer applications, enabling a Kinect-like experience but with far higher fidelity and with no limitation on the number of players. “Microsoft’s Kinect is an elegant solution, since it does not require any sensors on the body, but as a result it is slower and sometimes sluggish in tracking human gestures,” said Casper Peeters, CEO of Xsens (Los Angeles). “Our technology is much more flexible in terms of where you can use it, and it achieves higher fidelity in tracking the wearer’s precise movements. But motion-based game controllers and phone interfaces are just beginning to emerge. Xsens operates at the  other end of the spectrum, enabling high-end motion capture for precise character animation, with many more interesting applications emerging in the future."

> Read the EE|Times article (pdf)