Leap Motion


Researchers proposed sensors that can track a user's hands. For instance, the Leap Motion can interactively track both hands of a user by identifying the positions of finger tips and the palm center, and later computing finger joints using an inverse kinematics solver. Some car makers are already proposing a hand-tracking based alternative interaction modality in lieu of traditional touch screens devoted to managing infotainment functions. Similarly, some smart TVs let users control their choices with a set of gestures, thus replacing the traditional remote control.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gby6hGZb3ww

https://www.leapmotion.com/solutions

References : 
                 https://www.leapmotion.com/product
                 http://www.computer.org/

Microsoft Kinect

Kinect for Windows v2 brings you the latest in human computing technologies. Sensors such as the Microsoft Kinect are a further step toward the implementation of fully natural interfaces in which the human body becomes the controller. The device lets users provide commands to the machine via gestures and body poses as embedded hardware performs real-time processing of raw data from a depth camera, thus obtaining a schematic of a human skeleton comprising a set of bones and joints. Recognizing the position and orientation of bones lets the hardware identify poses and gestures, which can be mapped to commands for the machine.

According to Microsoft, 

"The sensor is physical device with depth sensing technology, a built-in color camera, as infrared(IR) emitter, and a microphone array, enabling it to sense that location and movements of people as well as their voices. With up to 3 times higher depth fidelity, the latest sensor provides significant improvement in visualizing small objects and all objects more clearly.The latest sensor and the SDK 2.0 take natural user interactions with computers to the next level, offering greater overall precision, responsiveness, and intuitive capabilities to accelerate the development of applications that respond to movement, gesture, and voice. "

You will able to develop applications in New and better scenarios in fitness, wellness, education and training, entertainment, gaming, movies, and communication.

References :
www.microsoft.com

Article 3: Game Usability Heuristics (PLAY) for Evaluating and Designing Better Games: The Next Iteration

by Heather Desurvire and Charlotte Wiberg

Authors of the “Game Usability Heuristics (PLAY) for Evaluating and Designing Better Games: The Next Iteration” describes their research finding of how game developers applying human-computer interaction (HCI) principles in design. They have adapted a set of Heuristics for productivity software to games. They presented the result at CHI 2004, Heuristics to Evaluate Playability (HEP). Their follow-up study was focused on follow-up study focused on the refined list, Heuristics of Playability (PLAY), that can be applied earlier in game development as well as aiding developers between formal usability/playability researches during the development cycle.

Based on the research from the game research community, they gathered set of heuristics. They categorizes HEP Heuristics into four areas: Game Play, Game Usability, Game Mechanics and Game Story. They created there sets of questionnaires, one to correspond to each of the three different dame genres (Action Adventure, FPS and RTS)  also included questionnaires for high rank and low rank games. From their analysis was able to identify a number of principles that helped to differentiate between good and bad games.

I. Category 1: Game play

A.     Heuristic: Enduring Play

B.     Heuristic: Challenge, Strategy and Pace

C.     Heuristic: Consistency in Game World

D.     Heuristic: Goals

E.      Heuristic: Variety of Players and Game Styles

F.      Heuristic: Players Perception of Control

II. Category 2: Coolness/Entertainment/Humor/Emotional Immersion

A.     Heuristic: Emotional Connection

B.     Heuristic: Coolness/Entertainment

C.     Heuristic: Humor

D.     Heuristic: Immersion

III Category 3: Usability & Game Mechanics

A.      Heuristic: Documentation/Tutorial

B.      Heuristic: Status and Score

C.      Heuristic: Game Provides Feedback

D.      Heuristic: Terminology

E.       Heuristic: Burden On Player

F.       Heuristic: Screen Layout

G.      Heuristic: Navigation

H.      Heuristic: Error Prevention

I.         Heuristic: Game Story Immersion