Kinect + snow globe lets you view objects in 360 degrees

Taking visual media to the next level, the folks over at Queens University have come up with a way to utilize the Kinect for viewing objects in 3D. Making use of two Kinect motion controllers, a giant snow globe, a 3D HD projector, and some additional hardware and software, the students managed to create a display for users to view and rotate objects in 3D. Users can spin and object around 360 degrees and even zoom in and out using hand gestures that are detected by the Kinect. In addition to manually rotating the objects themselves, users can walk around the snow globe to get a complete view of the object.

While it may look like the object has been trapped inside the snow globe, it is actually a 2D image that’s being projected into it. The Kinect detects where the viewer is and shows them the appropriate view depending on where they are standing. While there aren’t any true practical uses for this sort of technology at the moment, it’s another step forward for the Kinect community and pushes the boundaries for what the device can be used for. Hit the break to watch the Kinect snow globe in action:

George Wong
Categories: Gaming, General
Tags: 3D, Kinect, Microsoft