Posts Tagged ‘Chip Design’

A 3D Technology That Can Let Players Controls An On-Screen Avatar

a 3D technology that can let players controls an on-screen avatar

PrimeSense, a chip design company based in Tel Aviv, provided the 3D sensor technology for Project Natal, which will let players control an on-screen avatar using full-body gestures like a kick, punch or jump . Microsoft has said the technology will be available for the Xbox 360 by the holiday season.

He wouldn’t discuss the terms of his company’s relationship with Microsoft, and a joint statement from the companies Wednesday provided few details.It seems likely, however, that Microsoft will have demanded exclusive rights to use PrimeSense’s technology Sony VGP-BPS8 battery in gaming systems , at least for a limited time, to give it a head start over other console makers.

The technology could be used to let users scroll through cable TV channels or DVD menus by waving a hand in the air, instead of having to use a remote control , for example. That could end up being a bigger market for motion-sensing technologies than gaming systems, Doherty said.

“Very few people like remotes. They lose them, they die — that could be a dying market,” he said.PrimeSense showed its technology behind closed doors at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. Some of the demonstrations were reminiscent of “Minority Report,” allowing the user to stand in front of a large screen and shuffle documents in midair with their hands.

If the deal with Microsoft is exclusive, it doesn’t mean Nintendo and Sony don’t have other options. There are several vendors they could partner with that are developing similar technologies, including Canesta, of Sunnyvale, California, whose investors include laptop giant Quanta Computer.

Questions remain about Project Natal, Doherty said, including how many players will be able to use it at one time, and when exactly it will ship. “They’ve said before the holidays of Dell latitude d610 battery , but does that mean Dec. 23 or November?” he said. Microsoft will certainly try to have it on shelves in time for holiday shopping.

A Microsoft spokesman reiterated Wednesday that Project Natal will be available for “the holidays,” and declined to comment on the terms of its agreement with PrimeSense.The deal is a big win for PrimeSense, which was founded in 2005 and has 92 employees  , mostly engineers based in Israel. The company plans to expand to 120 employees by the end of the year. “We’re a very R&D-focused company,” Beracha said.