Rhaomi
29-10-2006, 22:37
...and make way for haptics. Much noise has been made over the Nintendo Wii's innovative control scheme; its remote-like controller can be swung like a sword or wielded like a gun, and the 3D movements are translated faithfully to the screen. It's supposed to change the nature of gaming.
But that's small potatoes compared to the Novint Falcon (http://www.novint.com/).
http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/06/novint_falcon.jpg
This sleek little gadget is the first true haptic interface -- a controller that renders virtual objects touchable. Get a grip on the mechanized mount, and you can navigate your avatar through 3D space, feeling the environment around you as if you were there. Touch a rock and the Falcon recreates its contours. Pluck a string and the machine's arms simulate tension. Push through a mound of goo and the resistance grows heavier and more sluggish until your hand finally pushes through to the other side. And so on.
I don't know about you, but this looks fantastic. Everything I've read about it has testified to its eerie realism. Various game developers are beginning to explore ways to integrate it with their projects -- a Half-Life 2 demo mod has been created, for instance. Soon triggers, handles, and other control models will be implemented. And it's not like this is some conceptual doodad -- this baby will hit the market sometime in the next year or so, retailing for $100-$150, depending on the manufacturing process.
So, what do you think? Would you ever consider buying something like this?
Reviews:
Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/07/switched-on-taking-control-to-another-dimension/)
IGN Hands-on Report (http://gear.ign.com/articles/708/708472p1.html)
But that's small potatoes compared to the Novint Falcon (http://www.novint.com/).
http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/06/novint_falcon.jpg
This sleek little gadget is the first true haptic interface -- a controller that renders virtual objects touchable. Get a grip on the mechanized mount, and you can navigate your avatar through 3D space, feeling the environment around you as if you were there. Touch a rock and the Falcon recreates its contours. Pluck a string and the machine's arms simulate tension. Push through a mound of goo and the resistance grows heavier and more sluggish until your hand finally pushes through to the other side. And so on.
I don't know about you, but this looks fantastic. Everything I've read about it has testified to its eerie realism. Various game developers are beginning to explore ways to integrate it with their projects -- a Half-Life 2 demo mod has been created, for instance. Soon triggers, handles, and other control models will be implemented. And it's not like this is some conceptual doodad -- this baby will hit the market sometime in the next year or so, retailing for $100-$150, depending on the manufacturing process.
So, what do you think? Would you ever consider buying something like this?
Reviews:
Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/07/switched-on-taking-control-to-another-dimension/)
IGN Hands-on Report (http://gear.ign.com/articles/708/708472p1.html)