Wave goodbye to Kinect
With plans to release a Kinect-like motion-sensing device for the PC, ASUS looks set take on Microsoft on the Redmond giant's home turf.
ASUS has teamed up PrimeSense, the very folk who collaborated with Microsoft, to showcase the WAVI Xtion. Getting the nuts and bolts out of the way first, the two-part solution uses what the company terms a Wireless Audio Visual Interaction (WAVI) transmitter and receiver. The transmitting side, connected to the sensor and TV, pushes/pulls the signal, via AMIMON WHDI technology, to a WAVI receiver connected to a PC
But the exciting part is the Xtion (Wave to Action) section, which looks very much like Microsoft's Kinect box of tricks. Able to track movements from 0.8m through to 3.5m away - large enough for most living rooms, the device hooks up to the WAVI transmitter near your TV/monitor which, in turn, can hook up to the PC located up to 25m away. This means there's no need to have an ugly-looking box in your living room.
They say a picture speaks a thousand words. Videos no doubt do even more, so here's an ASUS representative putting the WAVI Xtion through its paces.
Pricing hasn't been finalised and we're unlikely to see it available before the end of April, but the technology marks an interesting departure from the litany of me-too products on show elsewhere.
