PlayMotion
Encyclopedia
PlayMotion! is a company that produces a next generation videogame technology of the same name. Their product applies practical Computer Vision
algorithms to the problem of gesture recognition
in a wide array of environments, including Education
and exergaming
.
PlayMotion, in essence, "allows players to use the wall of the room as a videogame surface", while a "a graphics engine and video projector
turn your actions into digital shapes and patterns on a large screen."
PlayMotion was founded by designer Greg Roberts
and noted computer vision scientist Matt Flagg in 2003.
The company has a partnership with Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) who uses the platform to create next generation videogame and novel live performance concepts.
PlayMotion builds upon the pioneering work done by visionary Myron Krueger in the 1970s and 1980s. Their internal Funlab is an R&D incubator allowing for free thought and autonomous action which has produced many games and technologies throughout the years, including a landmark 5-screen, 250 player experience at Disney's Epcot
in Orlando, Florida
.
In 2009, PlayMotion released version 1.0 of a comprehensive SDK based on the Python programming language
, one of the first software development kits to focus specifically on computer vision
for entertainment
application design.
Computer vision
Computer vision is a field that includes methods for acquiring, processing, analysing, and understanding images and, in general, high-dimensional data from the real world in order to produce numerical or symbolic information, e.g., in the forms of decisions...
algorithms to the problem of gesture recognition
Gesture recognition
Gesture recognition is a topic in computer science and language technology with the goal of interpreting human gestures via mathematical algorithms. Gestures can originate from any bodily motion or state but commonly originate from the face or hand. Current focuses in the field include emotion...
in a wide array of environments, including Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and exergaming
Exergaming
Exergaming or exer-gaming is a term used for video games that are also a form of exercise. Exergaming relies on technology that tracks body movement or reaction. The genre has been credited with upending the stereotype of gaming as a sedentary activity, and promoting an active lifestyle...
.
PlayMotion, in essence, "allows players to use the wall of the room as a videogame surface", while a "a graphics engine and video projector
Video projector
A video projector is an image projector that receives a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system. All video projectors use a very bright light to project the image, and most modern ones can correct any curves, blurriness, and other...
turn your actions into digital shapes and patterns on a large screen."
PlayMotion was founded by designer Greg Roberts
Greg Roberts (Designer)
Greg Roberts , is an American artist and entrepreneur who is best known as a pioneering designer of interactive experiences, and for creating some of the first interface designs for broadband internet services....
and noted computer vision scientist Matt Flagg in 2003.
The company has a partnership with Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) who uses the platform to create next generation videogame and novel live performance concepts.
PlayMotion builds upon the pioneering work done by visionary Myron Krueger in the 1970s and 1980s. Their internal Funlab is an R&D incubator allowing for free thought and autonomous action which has produced many games and technologies throughout the years, including a landmark 5-screen, 250 player experience at Disney's Epcot
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
In 2009, PlayMotion released version 1.0 of a comprehensive SDK based on the Python programming language
Python (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
, one of the first software development kits to focus specifically on computer vision
Computer vision
Computer vision is a field that includes methods for acquiring, processing, analysing, and understanding images and, in general, high-dimensional data from the real world in order to produce numerical or symbolic information, e.g., in the forms of decisions...
for entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
application design.