Kids love a good story especially now that they themselves can be involved in one. Kinect expands the imagination and interest of children through the use of interactive stories. Children may now enjoy the luxury of living out their fantasies and start performing as one of the characters of their favorite (and even personalized) story. Vimeo user Chris o’Shea shares this video of how a child’s drawing and concept can be translated into a stage with the children as the actors. The Kinect’s depth camera is essential in detecting the distance of the child performers and adjusts the image accordingly. The program was written in C++ and openFrameworks, Box2D and openCV were also used.
In the video, children draw their favorite creatures, shapes, or whatever enters their mind. These things are then projected to the stage using the Musion Eyeliner and therefore appears on the same depth with the child performers. The Kinect camera detects the performers’s images, projects the optimal size and distance to immerse performers. Not just limiting it to children, this Kinect program opens the door for next-generation theater entertainment. Will we see Broadway use the Kinect in the future?
For more information about the project, visit Chris o’Shea’s website.
