Press Release
Messe Stuttgart, 5th November 2009
Sony stand: Hall 6, Stand 6C33
Sony demonstrates revolutionary PC control interface at Vision 2009
Camera based system tracks 3D body movements for truly intuitive computer control
Sony Europe’s Image Sensing Solutions (ISS) division has demonstrated a revolutionary PC control interface based on three dimensional vision cameras. The system, called ICU, analyses body movements and enables users to go beyond the mouse or touchscreen to interact more intuitively with a computer.
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The technology is the first of its kind to be demonstrated and is the result of a collaboration between Sony ISS and Atracsys, a Swiss optical tracking specialist. The interface is able to detect and act upon any ‘gesture’ or body movement by tracking subtle changes in body, arm, hand or finger position. The ICU system is also sensitive enough to determine a user’s approximate age, sex and emotion; recognising happiness, anger, surprise, sadness and neutrality.
The interface is based on two Sony ISS XCD-V60 cameras (tinyurl.com/SonyXCD-V60) linked together stereoscopically to create a 3D image. These high specification digital IEEE1394b cameras transmit image data at 90fps to a PC running Atracsys’ proprietary video analysis software. Input from the cameras can be used to control a cursor, avatar or robot.
“ICU can be used in virtually any scenario, be it gaming, industrial, medical or retail,” commented Gaëtan Marti, CEO at Atracsys. “Currently, we’re receiving a lot of interest from retail marketing companies wanting to develop truly interactive shop window displays. In this application, a user pointing at a watch or electronic gadget, for example, could command the display of additional information from the web about the product, such as reviews, pricing information or technical specifications.”
Arnaud Destruels, marketing manager at Sony ISS, said, “such interfaces were conceived many decades ago, with science fiction films using them to convey a futuristic feeling. The large time gap between conception and implementation highlights just how complex the task has been as well as the coding expertise at Atracsys.”
ENDS
Ref: SISS0078
For further editorial information, please contact:
Rob Ashwell, Publitek
Tel. +44 (0) 1225 470000 / Skype: robpublitek / email: rob.ashwell@publitek.com
For further product and sales information, please contact :
Matthew Swinney, Senior product marketing manager, Sony Image Sensing Solutions.
Tel. +44 (0) 1932 817406 / fax +44 (0) 1932 817314 / email: matthew.swinney@eu.sony.com
Atracsys contact details
Gaëtan Marti, CEO, Atracsys
Tel. +41 (0) 21 533 03 50 / fax + 41 (0) 21 533 03 51 / email: info@atracsys.com
About Sony:
Sony is a leading global innovator of audio, video, communications and information technology products for both the consumer and professional markets. Sony is renowned for its audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA™ LCD High Definition (HD) television, Cyber-shot™ digital camera, Handycam® camcorder and Walkman® MP3 player as well as its VAIO™ personal computers and HD professional broadcast equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM™ HD. Offering a complete end-to-end HD value chain and with its electronics, music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is one of the world’s leading digital entertainment brands, employing approximately 170,000 people worldwide.
Through its long-term football partnerships as an official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League until 2012, Official FIFA Partner until 2014 and global sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™ in 2010 and 2014, Sony is inspiring a sense of excitement for the millions of football fans around the world.
About Sony Image Sensing Solutions division:
Sony Europe’s Image Sensing Solutions division has an in-depth range of component cameras and image sensing products. Industry leading products include High Definition cameras; intelligent ‘smart camera’ products; standard definition colour and monochrome CCD video cameras for analogue and digital (IEEE 1394, GigE & CameraLink) vision systems, all of which satisfy numerous market sectors and applications, including manufacturing (industrial vision solutions), security/monitoring, webcasting, videoconferencing, scientific and medical markets.
This division is based in the UK and France and continues to be supported by over 25 years of technologically-advanced design and development, delivered today in world-class products. For further information please visit www.sonybiz.net/vision
About Atracsys
Atracsys LLC is an independent privately held company founded in 2003 to exploit over ten years of research in minimally invasive surgery and optical tracking at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Its experts design, manufacture and market the highest precision devices for researchers working on leading-edge 3D optical tracking in medical research, education and industry.
The company works exclusively in the active optical tracking area; considered by researchers to be the most precise and reliable form of tracking available.
As an engineering and development company geared to the needs of the most demanding users, Atracsys has developed "best-in-class" precision active tracking systems (the easyTrack and the accuTrack) that can be easily customised and integrated into various research applications in the medical and research fields.
Environmental Info
Sony is engaged in a constant review of its manufacturing, operational
and business practices to ensure that its products are developed in an environmentally responsible way.
This approach can broadly be divided into three areas:
Product
Halogenated materials can pose a risk to the environment if disposed of improperly. To minimize this risk, halogen-free flame retardants are used for certain printed circuit boards.
Process
The extended user manual is provided electronically on CD-ROM to reduce paper use.
Product packaging is made from 100% recycled paper to reduce the impact on the environment. VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) – free vegetable oil based ink is used to print the carton.
Planet
Sony is determined to lead the way as a responsible manufacturer, and as a result we are focussing on three key areas of investment:
- Reducing CO2 gas emissions
- Increasing the percentage of renewable energy used in manufacturing facilities
- Minimising the resources used by our factories in manufacturing