While Microsoft announced last week that they start selling a Kinect-less version of Xbox One, it seems that the technology is still being put to use. Doc-Ok recently posted a video and blog of him using three Kinects and an Oculus Rift to create a holographic avatar that feels “real” compared to motion-captured ones.
While the video quality isn’t good, it’s still an impressive feat. The developer begins the video with him sitting in his virtual office from a first-person perspective. Using three Kinects and an Oculus Rift, he is able to create his own “holographic avatar,” which his brain perceives as real. This means that he is able to view himself in third-person, creating an out-of-body experience. He calls it the “Uncanny Valley principle” in his video and blog.
“The bottom line is that, at least to me and everybody else who has tried my system, latency of the 3D video is either not noticeable, or not a problem. Even when waving my hands directly in front of my face, they feel completely like my hands, and whatever latency is there does not lead to a disconnect. Based on several other observations we have made, such as the thing about swiveling in a chair I point out in the video, make me believe that 3D video, fuzziness and artifacts and all, creates a strong sense of presence in one’s own body.”
While I’m not sure what this means for Kinect, Oculus Rift and gaming in general, this is a cool demonstration. Feel free to check out Doc-Ok’s blog if you would to read like technical breakdown of the video, or want to watch a version that’s formatted for the Oculus-Rift.
Source: Doc-Ok