introspectiveH

Since developing Majority Desk, I have really been appreciative, intrigued, and amazed by the potential of using simulated physics as the engine for allowing objects to interact in games and other software. For Majority Desk, we used the open source Open Dynamics Engine, and it gave us all we needed and more to simulate a fully interactive, 3D environment.

Today, I came across some news about the new, upcoming game from LucasArts, Star Wars: Force Unleashed.

The Star Wars saga will continue in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy.

Yes, like any self respecting geek, I am a Star Wars fan, and the evil thought of being Darth Vader's secret apprentice, is more than a little exciting. However, this isn't what interested me the most.

As its name implies, The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time: Digital Molecular Matter (DMM), by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. Paired with the powerful Havok Physics? system, these new technologies create gameplay only possible on the new generation of consoles. DMM incorporates the physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts exactly like it should - wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioral-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior on the fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time.

This stuff is so freakin' cool that I had to search around a little more. After looking around, I stumbled across this baby, which will set your geekiness levels through the roof. No matter if you are a gamer or a Star Wars fan, this is six minutes of video that you have to watch. The trailer shows and explains the three technologies they integrated for the game. This will not only change gaming, but it also opens up whole new worlds in areas that involve real life simulations for both entertainment and business purposes. Geek overload warning ahead.

My favorite quotes from the trailer

• Havok Physics 2 SDK - Continuous Physics engine:
  "allows us to move a great number of objects on the screen at any given time."
• NaturalMotion euphoria - Dynamic Motion Synthesis (DMS): "[the game characters] have a sense of self preservation, a sense of self awareness…"
• DMM by Pixelux - Digital Molecular Matter - Game Asset Synthesis Technology: "is a way of simulating the substance of objects, sort of pretending that their molecules"

Bonus footage #1 - Euphoria Engine Tech Demo

Bonus footage #2 - Digital Molecular Matter Tech Demo

Popularity: 62% [?]

My top issue in the upcoming U.S. presidential election is our focus on science and technology. Currently, we have an increasing attitude of entitlement, complacency, and whininess about our jobs being outsourced and our dollar value declining. Instead, we need to increase motivation and resources to be technology innovators and world leaders in science, math, medicine, and engineering. The lack of debate content around these issues has been disappointing for me, as I would love to see where the candidates stand on the wide range of issues on this subject matter.

Enter the Science Debate 2008

Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth and competitiveness, we call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates share their views on the issues of The Environment, Health and Medicine, and Science and Technology Policy.

Do you like apples?

Despite attempts in recent years to bolster education in fundamental areas, a major international study released today found that youngsters in the U.S. still lag behind their peers in the developed nations when it comes to the technical disciplines. Sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study found that in standardized tests conducted in 30 industrialized countries American kids performed near the bottom of the ranks.

How do ya like 'em apples? If reports like this concern you, as much as they do me, then hop on over to the Science Debate 2008 site, sign up, and show your support.

Not convinced? Here's a little bonus footage, that will surely have you signing up double time.

Thanks to fellow Enterprise Irregular, Vinnie Mirchandani, for passing this along.

[UPDATE} Denis Browne from SAP Imagineering is down with Science Debate 2008. He sent me this gem as another forewarning about our future…ouch. Thanks D!

Popularity: 13% [?]

Recently, I came across some videos of a very smart dude name Johnny Chung Lee that has been doing some interesting innovations with one of my favorite toys, the Wiimote.  Johnny Lee is a Ph. D. student at Carnegie Mellon, and his innovations are both simple and brilliant.  He is doing work similar to Majority Desk, but taking it way beyond to the next level.  The biggest shift in thinking is that he uses the Wiimote and infrared sensors in reverse, so that your hands are more free to move around naturally. 

I love it; such a simple paradigm shift unleashes so many possibilities.  If you don't agree, then check out his next video where he uses this same concept to provide a cheap alternative to both expensive electronic whiteboards and the upcoming Microsoft Surface, which is supposed to be priced between $5k - $10K. 

Because of the high interest in the project, but lack of resources to pursue it full time, Lee released the Wiimote whiteboard project as open source…another brilliant move.

I'm swamped with requests for compatibility fixes, requests for Mac and Linux versions. … and as much as I would love to be able to get this working in the hands of as many people as possible, I don't have the skills or time to do all this alone. So, here is my call for help. I have created a SourceForge repository for all WiimoteWhiteboard development.

Over at Cynergy Labs, they have also picked up on the minority report/Wiimote concept and put together a really nice, polished application using a pair of real minority report type gloves.  Thanks to my friend Karl Johnson over at Cynergy, for sending this one along. 

Cynergy Labs: Project Maestro

I love the fact that these type of breakthroughs are being created with a $30 Wiimote and $20 worth of parts from Radio Shack.

Microsoft Surface: $10,000

Wiimote: $30

Making Microsoft's Surface an overpriced, big ass table: priceless

As a bonus, check out Johnny's latest project on head tracking with the Wiimote for desktop VR display.  This is just freaking amazing and opens up a whole new can of worms. 

Combine majority desk, maestro, and head tracking VR together and you could be fully immersed in a productive 3D environment using a minority report interface.  Thanks Johnny Lee; I salute you.

Popularity: 12% [?]