Show HN: Gamebody, a full-body game controller (opens in new tab)

(github.com)

107 pointsfheisler2y ago28 comments

28 comments

I’ve been doing something similar to control racing video games while biking on an indoor exercise bike. I convert pedal speed into brake and acceleration keys (there’s some middle amount of pedaling that’s neutral) with pynput. I used OpenCV for webcam input and MediaPipe’s models to convert lean angle into left and right keyboard presses, and head tilt into up and down. It’s really fun but the slight latency in recognizing my pose is tough for fast courses. Now I’m thinking about some Arduino with a sensor or low res IR camera or something else that could detect changes a lot quicker.

grrdotcloud2y ago

People like you exist and do stuff like that and yet no one has an upgraded version of the NES Zapper after all these years.

93po2y ago

Any VR shooting game?

1 more reply

berendka2y ago

Wait, can you now do QWOP with real human body parts as input and ... finally run? that would be so full circle!

fheislerOP2y ago

Yep, arms and legs control "thighs" and "calves" - although I was roughly as bad at full-body QWOP as on a keyboard!

gmac2y ago

Reminds me of Pigeon Sim, using a Kinect and the Google Earth browser plugin (which is sadly now discontinued).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5ye9dfeu7c

https://github.com/jawj/pigeonsim

mellosouls2y ago

Considering his last (brilliant) project featured here, the semaphore keyboard madness, I'm not sure how serious this is but it seems there is potential for providing a useful API for AR/VR apps/games/experiences; I'm not sure the body is extensively served by Quest etc beyond hand and head tracking.

fheislerOP2y ago

Thank you! For those who missed that one: https://github.com/everythingishacked/Semaphore

To me, the main motivation beyond "because I can" is the accessibility of these projects: you just need some Python code and any webcam. I'd love to play around more with VR, but the owners of the leading systems aren't exactly known for their openness to external APIs... Maybe Google Cardboard is worth a revisit :)

tough2y ago

This reminded me of the full body keyboard controller someone else shared a few weeks back...

My ideas for body games are growing

https://github.com/everythingishacked/Semaphore

roughly2y ago

Same author!

tough2y ago

everythingishacked fr even my mind now.

well, def not someone else, but the same someone

recursive2y ago

I'm still sad the MS didn't stick to their kinect concept.

dr_kiszonka2y ago

Yeah, it is a pity. You can still buy their Azure Kinect DK Developer kit, though.

j2bax2y ago

I like your name! What is shacking?

fheislerOP2y ago

I shack you for noticing :o)

doitLP2y ago

“Everything is hacked”

stavros2y ago

"Everything I shacked" sounds much better though.

1 more reply

jncfhnb2y ago

Time for the dark souls run I guess

1 more reply

iasoy2y ago

That's interesting, I always wanted to try something similar but put it off. I'll try it with my phone & see if I can get it working in small space but with ulta-wide camera.

kylejrp2y ago

"I'm the video game boy! I'm the one who wins!"

0xfai2y ago

Wow! I've built dozens of stabs at exactly this and the consistency you've achieved is really good! Cool. Very cool.

iamflimflam12y ago

How well does pose detection work on people wearing baggy clothes. Or for "non gym" type bodies?

fheislerOP2y ago

Pretty well from my limited testing! For standing poses, it works roughly as well as a human in good lighting and contrast conditions - as in, in situations where you would have a hard time picking out where limbs are, Mediapipe will too. The more common issue is poor lighting, or clothing that blends into a busy background.

topfloorboss2y ago

this goes so hard. I think I would prefer this to vr.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

28 comments

freedmand2y ago

grrdotcloud2y ago

People like you exist and do stuff like that and yet no one has an upgraded version of the NES Zapper after all these years.

93po2y ago

Any VR shooting game?

1 more reply

berendka2y ago

Wait, can you now do QWOP with real human body parts as input and ... finally run? that would be so full circle!

fheislerOP2y ago

Yep, arms and legs control "thighs" and "calves" - although I was roughly as bad at full-body QWOP as on a keyboard!

gmac2y ago

Reminds me of Pigeon Sim, using a Kinect and the Google Earth browser plugin (which is sadly now discontinued).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5ye9dfeu7c

https://github.com/jawj/pigeonsim

mellosouls2y ago

fheislerOP2y ago

Thank you! For those who missed that one: https://github.com/everythingishacked/Semaphore

tough2y ago

This reminded me of the full body keyboard controller someone else shared a few weeks back...

My ideas for body games are growing

https://github.com/everythingishacked/Semaphore

roughly2y ago

Same author!

tough2y ago

everythingishacked fr even my mind now.

well, def not someone else, but the same someone

recursive2y ago

I'm still sad the MS didn't stick to their kinect concept.

dr_kiszonka2y ago

Yeah, it is a pity. You can still buy their Azure Kinect DK Developer kit, though.

j2bax2y ago

I like your name! What is shacking?

fheislerOP2y ago

I shack you for noticing :o)

doitLP2y ago

“Everything is hacked”

stavros2y ago

"Everything I shacked" sounds much better though.

1 more reply

jncfhnb2y ago

Time for the dark souls run I guess

1 more reply

iasoy2y ago

That's interesting, I always wanted to try something similar but put it off. I'll try it with my phone & see if I can get it working in small space but with ulta-wide camera.

kylejrp2y ago

"I'm the video game boy! I'm the one who wins!"

0xfai2y ago

Wow! I've built dozens of stabs at exactly this and the consistency you've achieved is really good! Cool. Very cool.

iamflimflam12y ago

How well does pose detection work on people wearing baggy clothes. Or for "non gym" type bodies?

fheislerOP2y ago

topfloorboss2y ago

this goes so hard. I think I would prefer this to vr.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse