PlayStation Eye Still Alive, Support For Facial Recognition Coming Soon
The all-but-forgotten PlayStation Eye, not one to be outshined by its prototype, unnamed motion-sensing PlayStation controller brother, will soon support facial recognition.
Says Sony Europe’s Head of Developer Services, Kish Hirani, the Eye will have the ability to “detect gender and even the age of the face, separate facial features such as the nose, eyes and ears, and even detect whether you’re smiling or not.”
And taking a page from Microsoft’s Natal platform, Hirani said the Eye will also support “skeleton tracking.”
Now, I’ll admit, these are cool features, but I do hope the update allows the PlayStation Eye to work in the dark. Facial recognition firmware update or not, for this to work Sony’s going to have to figure out a way for this thing to function from within the pitch black confines of people’s storage closets and attics. [Gamasutra Kotaku]
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
@Ian Grams: Stole from what? PS2 Eye toy? PS3 Tech Demos? I mean, all Sony really is doing is just improving.
@Ian Grams: are u mentally challenged?
@Eruanno: I have one. I bought it with the Eye of Judgment pack. It was a cool idea, but I sold the game a while ago.
thebigcheese
Well, when you think about it, try shining an infrared light at it. I bet the camera will pick it up, just like most cameras do. Maybe it's not super sensitive to that kind of light, but I'm sure they could make it work in low light.
thebigcheese
I've never bought, or considered buying one of these. Do people buy these things? Anyone? Hello? Helloooooo? *echo*
I'm still thinking Natal will be more fun
Unknown2U
@Ian Grams: I think six axsis is better than wii motion.
My Reasoning:
It's built into a standard controller, not in its own motion device. It says to developers "remember, people really like their buttons so we're not going to let you forget that, but if you feel a motion gesture would help game play, you can utilize that as well.
My Evidence:
Ragdoll Kung-Fu
PixelJunk: Eden
GhostBusters
ReynaldoRiv
LOL "detect gender" so it can recognize a wang?
Strider-No.9
Ah sony... if your competitors come up with something awesome, steal it for yourself.
It's the sixaxis motion control feature all over again...
Ian Grams
no baby, its not recording. The red light isnt on dont worry about it..
@switchblade saints:
Yeah....and that lound fan spinning up is just 'cause it's idle....LOL.
SKYPE!! SKYPE!! They are sooo missing the boat on this. How great would it be to enable everyone to video chat from their livingroom couches - they way we all have been told is was supposed to be by the year 2000?!?
jsternth
I will wait- I am sure like I did with my BT headset that some game will bundle it that sucks and go on insane clearance
Wolf Chan
@ithyphallus of his own will recommends Kotaco!...: I never once mentioned the eye/wand combo. I guess you're kinda slow in the head, huh?
Allow me to break this down into more manageable intellectual chunks for you.
I mention six axis, and only six axis when referencing Sony.
I mention six axis because the OP says "it's odd" Sony mentioned six axis after the wii.
I offer my reasons and proof on why I personally feel six axis is better.
I explain the creation and reasoning behind six axis.
six axis six axis six axis
I never once mentioned the magic wand
ReynaldoRiv
"It says to developers "remember, people really like their buttons"
Hmmm.... So that's why the PS3 stalled in sales and the Wii breezed right past it?
ApolloCoppard
@ReynaldoRiv: yes.... buying the eyetoy and 2 extra wands, possibly 4, is VERY practical indeed on top of your console
@haran_elessar: Most of those links were cut off. But it sounds like those are all face/head -tracking- not recognition. Those were methods of tracking the motion of the head, not recognizing facial features. And true, im sure they have "spies" of some sort on each side keeping track of what the other does, but it always seems like sony is adding these features on at the last moment, just after they have already been announced. Perhaps they just have really poor timing.
Ian Grams
@ReynaldoRiv: Understood, I suppose a fair bit of bias comes into play for me as I have never really cared for sony. It's no different than the sixaxis/wiimote preference. Some people will swear by PS Eye, others will praise Natal. Im fairly certain which side each of us will take :]
Ian Grams
@Ian Grams: Actually Sony has been developing this technology for years now. As you can see on the related videos besides this post the PS Eye has been able to do face tracking for over a year now:
http://gizmodo.com/361517/playstation-eye-tracks-your-face-as-you-...
also check out this links from Kotaku:
http://kotaku.com/361634/playstation-eye-headtracking-requires-no...
http://kotaku.com/032464/new-eye-toy-technology (circa 2005 very similar to Natal)
Of course Sony is talking about these features now because of Natal but the truth is they've been able to do them for a long time.
With this, I'm not trying to say that Sony was first and they deserve credit. I'm just trying to show that these sort of technologies don't come out of nowhere. It is after years of intensive R&D that these companies start to disclose what they've been doing behind closed doors. It's not like Sony, MS and Nintendo are just sitting around and when they see something cool from the other company the decide to copy it. Although that may happen in some rare instances the truth is that these companies are constantly looking into new techs and as the saying goes "great minds think alike".
@Ian Grams: I don't think it's odd. They saw an awesome Idea and did what they're known for: taking things to a practical, marketable, and intriguing level. Those transistor radios didn't build themselves you know.
Nintendo had an IN YOUR FACE motion strategy (necessary if they were to cope w/ lost image from the GC era while fighting the muscle-bond titans Sony and Microsoft.)
Microsoft emulates and improves (eyetoy/wii) but unlike Sony's modest paint coat they go the silver diamond-studded route.
As far as I'm concerned Sony has the most practical motion solution and I appreciate your understanding of my preference.
ReynaldoRiv
@WaR_HaWk: No, I am not mentally challenged. However I am fully capable of spelling out words instead of using preteen text shorthand. Thanks for asking though, I appreciate your concern.
@ReynaldoRiv: I can understand your preference for the standard controller, the Wiimote does tend to suck in that department. Turning it on its side isn't quite the same without joysticks and such. Everyone has their right to their preference, but it was a little odd how Sony announced that feature not long after Nintendo showed off the Wiimote.
@UltimateIdiot: Project Natal had facial recognition at E3, Sony never mentioned anything more than tracking their new peripheral. And the whole "skeleton tracking" is what Natal is known for. It's just a little sktechy, that's all.
Ian Grams