Polygon: Microsoft's 'RoomAlive' turns the living room into an augmented-reality game

[News Feed]

Last year's "Illumiroom" concept turned a lot of heads when Microsoft showed it off at CES. Now Microsoft's research division is back with something even more complicated: "RoomAlive," which turns a living room into an interactive augmented reality space.

Illumiroom was eye catching, but all it did was extend the field of view for a traditional video game beyond a television screen, projecting a larger image surrounding it onto the walls and floor. RoomAlive, though also in the research stages only, is even more complex, and brings the user off the couch to interact with the environment it renders on the furniture and other surfaces.

This video gives a much clearer idea of how that works than words alone. There are game concepts...

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[Kassen]

 

[Troublegum]

Baby steps towards a Holodeck future.

You just know that you are going to whack your leg on the coffee table, though.

 

[Mua'dib]

"Xbox...Illumiroom on...P******* channel..."

 

[Plainview]

Forget VR. I want RoomAlive/Illumiroom!

 

[Z A C K]

Definitely would be cool. I feel like these kind of things are just pipe dreams though.

 

[wshowers]

Definitely would be cool. I feel like these kind of things are just pipe dreams though.

Gotta start somewhere.

 

[Frozpot]

Kinda lame, IMO. Imma stick with VR. Much more immersive from what I've seen. I really don't want to walk around the room stomping/shooting transparent, two dimensional projections.. Using projectors also has the limitation of as soon as you step in front of it, you block the projection. Blech.

Maybe if the camera array tracked you with a VR headset on and let you move around and still know where your physical barrier are. Having the 3d presence in view is pretty important, imo.