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iMotion – Haptic feedback virtual reality motion control By Promote My Crowdfunding

posted Nov 13, 2013, 3:18 PM by Unknown user   [ updated Nov 13, 2013, 3:18 PM by David Khorram ]



Promote My Crowdfunding




Play your games and control your apps with haptic feedback (available for PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and Oculus Rift). Real VR.

What is iMotion? 

Do you know how in SciFi movies the hero sometimes controls the floating interface of a device with just a flick of his hands? 

Well, that's what we built. Our iMotion controllers provide a revolutionary way to have pinpoint-accurate 3D motion control across an incredible range of existing platforms and applications. 

iMotion also features airtouch (haptic) feedback, which is a unique addition to the motion control experience. Both of these features make iMotion truly unique and all that at an attractive price point.

Where can I use iMotion?

iMotion creates a virtual touch screen, similar to a giant motion sensitive space in front of you. iMotion's unique haptic feedback feature provides physical feedback so you can "feel" a virtual object being touched inside a game or application.

Any computer that can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse and a standard webcam can be controlled with iMotion. You can play First Person Shooter games or fighting games, or interact with 3D applications using your hands to move, open or rotate, and drag and drop 3D objects with high precision.

iMotion - in your living room
iMotion - in your living room

Use your body or your hand to control movements in virtual worlds. And, there's no integration required! Just install our middleware on your PC/Mac/Linux computer and game away!

iMotion + vrAse

The iMotion device requires a camera, so the software can track the user’s movements with the help of the 3 LED’s embedded in the device.

All modern Smartphones have 1 or 2 cameras built in. Since the vrAse device uses a smartphone, installed inside the virtual googles, and all supported Smartphone models have such camera(s), the iMotion software can be run on these phones and works with the iMotion controller. With the Smartphone inserted into the vrAse, the camera of the phone will not be covered.

The Oculus Rift connects to PC’s. You will be able to either use the built-in webcam on your laptop or PC, or an external webcam connected to it, and then use iMotion together with Oculus Rift.

Both vrAse and iMotion have a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope. This allows the software to also understand the related orientation and position of iMotion, even if for some reason the built-in camera is not able to see the iMotion device. The frequency on these sensors is more than 100 frames per second, meaning the latency would not exceed 10 ms, independently of the camera’s frames per second rate.

Here is how you use iMotion with vrAse:

1. Run the application and plug in vrAse 
2. Put iMotion on your hand, or both hands 
3. The software will recognize iMotion and connect to it via bluetooth 
4. The software (SDK) will reconstruct the position and orientation of your hand, checks button states and provides tactile feedback 
5. You can use the iMotions buttons or movements (gestures) to play the game or control your application

If a game uses our SDK, you will also be able to use Virtual Hands with haptic feedback in Virtual and Augmented Reality games or simulate a virtual touchscreen for mobile apps.

iMotion + vrAse
iMotion + vrAse

How do I use iMotion?

Simply strap the iMotion controller to your hand, similar to a glove, and you are ready to control your PC or mobile with intuitive, natural gestures. 

iMotion - easy to use
iMotion - easy to use

The iMotion controller is compatible with your existing games and applications, and allows you to replace your keyboard and mouse commands with gesture controls. All you need is the iMotion controller and our free toolkit (downloadable from our website).

What does iMotion offer for developers?

Use our Unity component to unveil new user experiences for your gaming content and applications. For Oculus Rift, by using our Virtual Hands SDK, you can even let users have hands in your virtual world (if you pledge for two iMotions, you get early access to this feature of the SDK). 

In most cases, no significant modification of the gaming content or application is required, just integration of our Unity component with input/output functions!

iMotion & OR
iMotion & OR

What is so revolutionary about iMotion? 

The iMotion controller has three LED lights to establish the body's position in 3D space. It determines the x, y and z coordinates as well as the angle of rotation and plane of elevation. iMotion houses a gyroscope and accelerometer, so you can use it at any angle and achieve a very high level of accuracy for action games and applications.

iMotion - LEDs
iMotion - LEDs

With an operational range from 1 to 16 feet, it's the only motion controller that supports full 3D motion control. iMotion works with any standard webcam. At 30 frames per second and an astounding 0.08 in accuracy, it is 6 times faster and 10 times more accurate then the leading console's motion tracking system.

iMotion - technology
iMotion - technology

For PC/Mac/Linux, the iMotion simulates the mouse so users can access any application in motion control mode, without any integration.`

The touch feedback technology built into iMotion uses bluetooth to send a signal to a haptic vibro-sensor in the actual controller. This allows you to get instant feedback, and adds "feel" to the virtual screen in front of you. There are 5 unique feedback channels that can change intensity and duration to provide different levels of feedback to replicate the unique "feel" of an object, movement or incident in the virtual 3D space.

iMotion - sensors
iMotion - sensors

This is impressive technology, but how easy is it to use?

If you can work a velcro strap and plug in a cable, you're good to go.

iMotion is slim and sleek and attaches to any part of your body using velcro straps. It is small enough to fit in your pocket and carry around. Why not take a couple of controllers to your friends house, connect your mobile phone to a TV and play together?

iMotion - easy to use
iMotion - easy to use

How much does iMotion cost?

With the backing of this Kickstarter campaign we will be able to offer the iMotion controller for an unbeatable price. Starting at just $49 (for early birds), you can be the proud owner of one of these amazing devices. 

There are multiple packages available to suit your needs and even developer packages, which grant you access to our team and support forum early. 

We invite you to help us make this the best motion control device on the market.

Feature Summary: 

Features

  • The iMotion controller replaces your mouse and keyboard with a virtual touchscreen
  • 4-channel haptic motion feedback sensor
  • Functional range of 1 to 16 feet
  • Supports applications operating at up to 100 frames per second (with high-end camera)
  • Pinpoint accuracy of 0.08 inches and low latency of 10 to 20 milliseconds
  • iMotion can be coupled with the Oculus Rift to provide body and hand motion control in a virtual world
  • One computing device can support up to 4 iMotions simultaneously, so single screen multiplayer games are also supported
  • Developers can: Integrate our Unity component on PC, Mac or Linux to add haptic feedback to applications or games (remember that users can still access it in pure motion control mode as well)
  • Invent more immersive gaming worlds and experiences with our Virtual Hands SDK for Oculus Rift
Easy to connect
Easy to connect

System Requirements:

  • Compatible with Apple Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems
  • Works best when connected through an HDMI cable to PC-TV connections
  • Compatible with mobile phones and TVs supporting MHL standard
  • Compatible with mobile apps that are using the iMotion SDK
  • Minimum camera specification required: 640x480 px / 30 fps
  • Bluetooth module or external Bluetooth adapter (included in package) required for haptic feedback options

Which games or apps are working best with iMotion ?

We tested iMotion on many apps and games ranging from first-person shooters to Angry Birds to Google Earth and more. Here are just a few examples of how you can use iMotion right out of the box.


We know you love the Oculus Rift and we do too. Get inside your favorite game world by attaching an iMotion to your belt or use an iMotion in your hand to control movement and actions in the world. One controller is enough for full 3D motion control and major actions. iMotion enhances and completes your virtual reality experience.

iMotion - your whole body in the virtual world
iMotion - your whole body in the virtual world
 
iMotion - boxing game with haptic feedback
iMotion - boxing game with haptic feedback


How we will use the funds:

We’ve developed the fully functional prototype of iMotion and now we want to get it out for the world to use and play with. The R&D is complete, and now it’s time for us to focus on integration across all of the target platforms and for full-scale manufacturing.

Once we raise money through Kickstarter, we will be ready by early 2014 with early bird kits and soon afterwards plan to roll out the first devices.

As soon as there are enough early-adopters using iMotion to get more out of their existing games and applications, we hope to get the attention of developers. We want to inspire other developers to be even more creative and dream up new virtual sci-fi user experiences and scenarios with our technology. 

We need your support to make this possible: you can pledge or simply spread the word to friends and family.

iMotion - prototyping
iMotion - prototyping
iMotion - development
iMotion - development

What is iMotion Cloud?

Intellect Motion has developed a cloud service to process, store and analyze motion control data.

The iMotion Cloud will allow developers to assess users’ motion control data in almost real-time to enable interactive and multi-interface applications for gaming, sports, medical and many other fields.

iMotion Cloud on Mobile
iMotion Cloud on Mobile

Developers can assess the motion control data with users’ permission and build applications that have never before been possible. Imagine the dating space where users touch each other’s hands, or your tennis coach helping you refine your shot. Or even doctors monitoring their patients while they do movement exercises, to improve their range of motion, all across multiple platforms using the Unity.

Motion Analysis on PC
Motion Analysis on PC

The iMotion Cloud will not only be the first to support motion control, but will also provide a range of analytics and indexes that can be used to evaluate the efficiency of user movements and enable developers to build independent metrics and ranking systems..

Features and Key Specs of iMotion Cloud:

  • Playback motion.
  • Access to haptic feedback systems and remote settings.
  • Extensive number of indexes and metrics to analyze efficiency of movements .

AS SEEN ON


FIND OUT MORE

Risks and challenges
Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

Shipping

Can we be assured that the Early-adopter kits will be delivered on time?

Yes, we are already working on the manufacturing contracts and have a plan in place for the first Early-adopter kits. Pledge at this level and you will definitely have an iMotion device early next year so you can start playing and interacting, or start tweaking your application to fully utilize the iMotion.

And as you already know mass manufacturing of hardware is tough, the process requires time and resources. Delivery dates are at the mercy of unforeseen manufacturing / logistics issues, but we're pretty confident we have a good partner to deliver alongside us. Our team has senior and world class professionals who have had experience in dealing with manufacturers, designers, engineers and logistics, so the risks that the product will be delayed because of production is minimal. We're confident we can reach our deadline and ensure a quality product.

Technical

Will this work with any PC?

Yes, this will work on any PC with a webcam of 640 x 480 resolution and 30 frames per second capture frequency, you will also need a bluetooth module in your laptop. If your laptop doesn't meet the specs, for the best performance we recommend that you use the certified external USB camera + external bluetooth USB that you can order for an additional $15.

Will it work on any OS?

iMotion will support all major Operating Systems including Mac, Windows and Linux by the time devices are shipped.

Is multiplayer enabled?

Yes Multiplayer is enabled, however there are not many titles that support single screen play. Developers will hopefully step up and deliver more games that can be played this way.

What about mobile?

Our technology is currently compatible with Android and we are currently developing our mobile SDK to be ready to use for all common mobile platforms. iMotion will work with any standard web camera and since most mobile phones today have a camera with a minimum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, iMotion is compatible with mobile phones. However, we still need to fully develop the mobile SDK for different mobile phones and tablets and we want you to help us enable this through Kickstarter. Make sure you check out our Kickstarter page frequently for more information.

Will haptic feedback work for all devices?

You need to have a Bluetooth enabled PC/ Mobile for Motion Feedback to work. The application / game / website will also need to have our SDK integrated for the feedback to work.

Will the iMotion look the same when the early bird shipment goes out?

iMotion will definitely look sleeker. At launch, we expect that the iMotion will be 1cm thick, 6cm wide and 7cm long. It is already small and light enough to fit into your pocket and carry around, but at launch it will weigh less than 100 grams.


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