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Advanced Inputs <Concept>


gerbilOFdoom
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Lately, I've been thinking about the concept of more intuitive user interfaces. I often find myself annoyed with the inherent limitations of the keyboard and mouse, especially while playing an RTS. As humans, we are more comfortable using our body than any tool we can create, simply because we are always in contact with our own bodies. Therefor, the best user interface is one that focuses on interpreting or otherwise using the body as an input, not key presses or mouse clicks. Currently, the premier method of gathering inputs from the human body is Microsoft's Kinect because it has all the hardware required to gather those inputs and filter out background noise.

I've taken up a hobby-level interest in electronics, focused primarily in software/control side of robotics at this point, and I'm trying to figure out a better way to interact with RTS games. Perhaps 0 AD would be better off with an option for a more intuitive user-input scheme to set it apart from other RTS games? If so, then a general layout for how to integrate such an input scheme would be useful.

Current thoughts:

-Camera

--Track hand motions and hand position

--Display "ghost" hands on display, essentially a mouse pointer controlled by the hand instead of the mouse... times two

--Monitor basic gestures

---"Grab" gesture to pick up objects in a "ghost mode" interface, such as picking up a unit and placing his ghost at the target destination, thus ordering him to move there. Could also be used to replace buttons, grab and drop commands in a way that signifies exactly what should be done

---"Point" gesture to select objects or units

-Glove

--Track hand gestures

---how to determine relative position of hands/reference point?

--Same purpose as camera, different method, different limitations

-Distribution to End User

--Guide/parts list for self-construction

--Order premade

--Buy a Kinect

Thoughts and discussion welcome, especially ways to make the UI lend itself to RTS gaming more than the current RTS standard-interface... just please no "can't be done, won't be done, not enough time to do" posts. This is just a fantastical concept that would be really incredible to see done.

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If a gesture-interface using Kinect were developed, we could definitely port to Xbox. Never thought of that! It would also provide a much better UI to mobile devices that have a front-side webcam.

Hmm. How would that work? Most of the clever stuff that Kinect can do depends on its depth sensor which is a pretty sophisticated piece of machinery which probably won't fit into a mobile device for the foreseeable future.

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