Kick Ass Kung-Fu Embodied Gaming Experience
I just came across the website for the Kick Ass Kung-Fu immersive game experience. This large-scale real-life/virtual game combination is intriguing and parallels some of the developments in motion analysis and tracking that I wrote about yesterday when discussing the motion performance.
The videos on the home page and in the Gallery are fascinating to watch. A player starts by standing in a 5 meter cushioned playfield and then does battle against virtual enemies. A video camera captures the image of the player in real-time and inserts this image on two screens in a virtual environment. So as the player kicks, jumps and moves, these motions are tracked and represented in the virtual space.
From the Kick Ass Kung-Fu website, I can't get a good handle on how the real-time capture system works. It appears that players don't have to have any type of motion tracing devices connected to their bodies for the computer system to create a 3D image of the players.
Posted by Doug Fox on September 28, 2005 6:09 PM
Hi, nice to see that our project is of interest to dancers. We see it as a hybrid of game, sports and improvised physical performance. Our shows let the audience step on stage and play, but we also have a performing stunt-team with background in capoeira, kung-fu, breakdance etc.
About the tech: We don't need any markers, just a single camera and our software that runs on a PC. The image of the player is actually 2D, but it is embedded inside a 3D world. However, the drop-shadows and dynamic camera movements (virtual camera, the real-world camera is static) seem to create an illusion of true 3D mocap.
We are open for collaboration, so if anyone would like to create a dance performance with interactive video projections, feel free to contact us.