Is this the future of motion control gaming?

By Ryan Fleming January 12, 2011

One day, we will all look back at the current generation of motion controls and laugh at our own primitive nature. After we finish guffawing at how we looked while waving our hands or moving around wands, we will then put our helmets back on, grab our shields, and jump back into the game. At least, that is the future that Aiken Labs sees with their new interpretation of the motion controllers that have gripped the fascination of gamers everywhere.

It began with the Wii, then evolved to the PlayStation Move. The Kinect took a chance with going hands free, but for a truly complete experience, check out Aiken Labs’ new Immersive Motion system. The idea is an evolution of the current motion based controls, but taken one step further. Aiken’s device is a small sensor that can connect to anything you would like. The demo we saw at CES showed one connected to a helmet, while another was attached to a shield. With just a slight movement of the head, the camera in the game tracked in the direction you moved. When you raised a shield, the shield in the game also raised up.

The demonstration was very basic, and the technology is still in its infancy, but the idea is original and solid. Imagine a year or two from now playing a first person shooter, and with each glance you control the movements to peak around corners and fire your gun.

The main selling point for Aiken’s prototype is that it is completely customizable, and almost any application and peripheral can be mapped to the system. Using a three piece set that includes a radio module, remote module and a radio base unit, the devices can be worn or mounted depending on the situation.

The technology is still in its infancy, but the possibilities are intriguing. Check out the video below and keep an eye out for the system in the future, although no firm date has been given.

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