Designer Uses Kinect To Create A Better Air Guitar

Hobbyists and developers have already been using Kinect to do some pretty cool things, but this latest proof of concept is particularly nifty. Artist Chris O'Shea has developed a prototype air guitar that allows users to strum into the ether and hear the results.

The clip below shows off what O'Shea has been able to do with his experiment, which is so far limited to relatively broad gestures. He admits that its current implementation is "quite inaccurate and a bit flaky" and that the addition of full skeletal tracking would make it much more satisfying. That said, it's still a fascinating glimpse of a great idea.

[View:http://vimeo.com/17669981:610:343]

The project is actually based on an earlier experiment, shown below. It utilized stereo cameras, but wasn't as sophisticated as what he's been able to get from Kinect.

[View:http://vimeo.com/2171658:610:343]

If you can't wait to get your hands on something like this...you may have to keep waiting. O'Shea says that he currently doesn't have plans to bring it to the marketplace. That said, he adds that he's be surprised if there weren't companies out there doing similar experiments with plans on doing just that.