Portland Open Source Game Grid Project

Google is using Portland-based Immersive Media to capture 360 degree
video for Google Maps, according to the NY Times.  They are also using
a van using high resolution 360 still photos.

Location-based ads, of course, are a motivation.

But, I think there's another reason -- they're collecting datapoints
for games. 3D games need 3D data points. Motion capture previously
required lots of small ping pong balls attached to your subject. Now
software can extract those data points.

But Google (and Microsoft) will likely keep those 3D data points proprietary.

How about a project to gather Portland data points and make them Open
Source? Anyone can play or utilize it to create location-aware games
and services.

It could utilize 360 still or video. Commercial software from RealViz
can extract the 3D points for gaming.

Here's how it works:

(1) Buy a tandem bike ($500)
(2) Stick a pole between the seats and four Canon S3IS cameras (like
mine), with four fisheye lenses (like mine).
(3) A UMPC worn on the back of the driver controls all four cameras.
Both still (6/8 Megapixels) or video (640x480) can be captured N,S,E &
W.
(4) Back home we run those images through RealViz software. Some 2-3
captures along the road would "look" at the same point to extract the
3D info.
(5) Then we put it in the Portland Open Source Game Grid database.

I think we need $12K from Freddies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/01/technology/01private.html?ex=1338350400&en=06dd9c79a3c9bd22&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
http://www.immersivemedia.com/products/products.php?pageID=20
http://movimento.realviz.com/motion-capture-software-faq/mocap-faq.php
http://www.pauck.de/marco/photo/stuff/peleng_fisheye/peleng_fisheye.html
http://www.breezesys.com/products.htm#dslr
http://www.breezesys.com/PSRemote/features.htm

- Sam

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