Motion interaction

Motioncube has built-in high-quality image analysis and motion detection algorithms, which allow you to achieve a natural effect of controlling the game by body movement on the interactive floor and other projection surfaces.

Find out more...

A use case description of this type of interaction control can be found on the Motioncube homepage in the section Solutions > Control methods > Motion Detection.

Direct link: https://pro.motioncube.io/tech/motion-detection

The operating principle in a nutshell

Motion interaction works with a camera that needs to be mounted next to the projector. Thus, other techniques and additional sensors are not needed to use.
The surface itself, on which the image from the projector is displayed, also does not have any magical properties, which is sometimes misunderstood by users who have contact with this type of technology for the first time.
Due to the use of the camera for motion detection, you should be aware of the specifics of working in this type of interactive environment. In particular, it should be borne in mind that interaction is triggered by any movement that the camera can see in its field of view. Therefore, it should not be expected that the interaction is triggered only by contact with the ground.
In practice, you can see that everything that leaves its shadow on the projection surface interacts with the game interface (some use the term shadow interaction here). This is due to the exact alignment of the camera with the projector, which is required for the whole setup to work precisely (more on calibration can be found in the Motioncube Player > Calibration).
The motion detection algorithms used in the Motioncube Player analyze only motion - position change - stationary objects are not detected, so they do not interact.

Requirements

To enable motion interaction on the projection surface, your hardware configuration should meet the following requirements:

A camera that can only see in the infrared range (cannot see visible light, i.e. the image that the projector displays),
Illumination of the projection area with infrared light (To enhance object visibility in dark rooms especially).

Exact guidelines

A detailed list of requirements for motion interactive devices can be found in the following subpages of the documentation, in particular in the Camera selection > Explanation Requirements > Motion Interaction, which details the camera guidelines required for the Motion Interaction module to function properly.

Recommendations

Below are the guidelines for the interaction via movement on the projected interactive floor. An overview of all the guidelines and suggestions for setting up the working environment can be found on the website Working environment > General assembly schemes.

Mounting centrally from the top

Guidelines:

Install the projector at a height at least twice that of the users (e.g. 3.6 meters from the ground if the floor will be used by walking teenagers or adults). Installation at lower heights (e.g. below 2.5 m) may result in a tall person standing under the projector obscuring important parts of the image on the floor and being unable to precisely control the application interface.

Advantages of this method of mount:

Freedom to move in any direction.
A slight degree of obscuring the image with a shadow.

Disadvantages of this method of mount:

It is difficult to prepare a mobile stand for an easy change of location.
Interaction via IR pens is limited as the user may cover the IR light with his body, so the camera will not see it, and no reaction will be observed by the user.

Side mount

Guidelines:

Mount the projector at a minimum height of 1.8m by pointing it vertically downward.

Attention

Most projectors are not designed to be mounted vertically downwards. See Projector selection for more information on how to select a projector.