Controllers

'Anything you output can be a trigger, and with two or more triggers, you can make a controller: your emotions, your feelings, your eye movements. Value your outputs, take control' VB

Motion Capture

Motion Capture is the ability to capture motion and display digital assets. Performing this task, is, and will continue to drive many franchises' economic potential. We believe one day, the market share of captured motion will belong to social media platforms as well as gaming experiences.

We have used the ‘Perception Neuron’ to capture the motion of dance moves and managed to contain authenticity.

There are many possible uses, cases and ways to incorporate motion capture into a workflow. Presently, more examples are being developed.

Haptics

Our ‘Stratos Explore’ that we have from Ultra Leap provides the most futuristic feeling haptics we have experienced.

It uses Ultra Sonic Sound Waves produced from its 256 fine-tuned aligned speakers to collide specific frequencies against each other. It creates a physical sensation much like standing right next to a speaker but smaller and more dexterous.

As something that has no visuals, it is an attention-grabber and has many use case possibilities. We see a future where very complicated control systems require haptic feedback that function to manage the dynamic options available.

We will continue to prototype using these types of haptics and any others that trigger the imagination.

See further down on haptics in Nintendo Switch, see Hardware for the mix with the Hologram, and just below for Hand Tracking, which is a big part of how this works.

Hand Tracking

The tech-to-track hand gestures and movements have become very sophisticated due to the algorithms and their ability to track possible matches.

The first-hand trackers we used were Mi.Mu gloves. They were given to use on a trial basis from one of the researchers of the product. These gloves were very entertaining and aesthetically one of the most ‘Cyberpunk-y’ looking things we got our hands on and in. There were however many more open-source and accessible options even at that time that also produced better results.

After the gloves, we moved onto Leap Motion. Ultra Haptics would later buy out leap Motion to create Ultra Leap. But, at every stage, the product that is called a Leap Motion remained the same.

From a developer's perspective, the Leap Motion is amazing. It’s a plug and play considering the initial available functions. The ability to create customized experiences is best shown on the Stratos Explore.

The ability to ‘track hands’ is what allows the Haptic Feedback to pinpoint specific places that target sensations. This in turn, after layering sensations, is what allows for `events` (e.g., targeting the tips of fingers and then the palm in rotation to create an electricity type of feeling).

I am sure whether we like it or not, hand tracking (and face tracking) is going to become more commonplace outside of the digital developer's domain. We will continue to find fun ways to use this technology whilst staying ahead of the overall curve.

I got punched by my controller for losing the plug adaptor...it was charged with battery.

But as if this vast local power in the tendinous tail were not enough, the whole bulk of the leviathan is knit.

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo has always been on the cutting edge of the controller experience for gamers, as well as leading the way in portable gaming.

The Nintendo Switch controllers have an amazing set of parameters to work with including button input, analogue controls with gyroscopic and HD rumble haptic feedback.

Keeping the information brief and legal, we have currently only mapped the most straightforward set of controls to different gaming builds. It is a very satisfying experience having characters we have created reacting to the sensitivity of the Nintendo controls, but many avenues have yet to be explored.

VR, AR & MR

Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality all pose some really interesting prospects from a controller’s perspective. It is in these areas that face tracking (eye movement tracking) is most likely to get mass adoption.

Out of the 3 platforms, we have only made developments for Virtual Reality. Once again, the leap motion becomes a vital asset for programming hand and finger tracking functions. Additionally, the infrared tracing of a room makes for great precision on the gyroscope and accelerometer on the hand controls.

Control in this area is where the most unexpected growth will come. There have been few universal traits that look anchored to these outputs.

Misc

Drones and all types of remote control vehicles are definitely something we want to get more of into our sandbox.