Non-Gaming uses for tilt sensor

[Lost|Identity]

I was thinking of standard tasks (ie menu navigation) that the sensor could be used for. It would be nice to see it mapped for uses throughout the interface/browser to do things like forward/backward in media or web browser, would like to hear other people's thoughts.

[Viper]

Initially Sonys patent was designed for stereo use such as changing the volume or station so I would not be surprised to see non-game functions but I don't know how feasible that would be as you'd still need to press a button to initiate input and that defeats the point. Browsing may be possible but L and R may take care of forward and back just as easy.

Perhaps they'll come up with something.

[Lost|Identity]

Initially Sonys patent was designed for stereo use such as changing the volume or station so I would not be surprised to see non-game functions but I don't know how feasible that would be as you'd still need to press a button to initiate input and that defeats the point.

Well, since there are more then 2-dimensions of articulation to the sensor then say a twist moves over one item, a tilt to left/right moves up/down an item, and a tilt forward activates that item, then tilt back could be used to move out of that item..... seems feasible to me, but I may be not seeing a flaw here.

[iceman2654]

Could Miniority Report like movements be possible? Didn't they talk about something like that with the eyetoy a while back?

[masteratt]

It wasn't official wording of Sony but many articles speculated such thing yes.
And I believe there was a quite big thread about it on this forum.

[Viper]

Dr. whats his name had those Minority Report finger cuffs on his finger and that started the rumors. Sorry to burst anyones bubble but it's nothing like that at all.

Lost|Identity, those are very digital movements and not analog. By that I mean movement over letters needs to be incremental and not overly fluid. Over tilting would quickly become frustrating. Imagine going back a few pages in broser history, you need to tilt sideways, move back to postition zero, title again, move back to position zero, repeat whereas a few L clicks and you're there.

To be honest, the tilt is best used when the input doesn't require you to move the controller back to position zero on a dime, such as flyign or driving. Presice selecting such as inputing your name are best input by a digital input such that three lefts stops exactly three to the left.

As I said, they may find some use for it outside of gaming itself but I don't think there will be much of it.

[Lost|Identity]

I understand what you mean Viper, and I think a the standard D-pad (or especially a mouse or keyboard) would be better suited to tasks such as name typing etc. but simple menu navigation (even at the level of the PS3's interface itself) seems an ample place to me for such a thing. I wasn't thinking this would be used on those more digital tasks though, more for fluid task like browsing quickly through lists. I guess it just seems cool to me to be able to just tilt the controller to browse media and such, I think it would be a slick way of navigating menu systems and file lists (icons included).

[Viper]

Anything lengthy could benefit, yes. Especially in conjunction with a d-pad such that the tilt scrolls down real far then you go back to position zero and start tapping the d-pad down to select the exact track. That would be pretty slick.

[Lost|Identity]

:D Yea Viper, I think we get each other on this now. In my mind it seems more efficient to be able to use tilt, D-pad, and triggers together. You can tilt your hand and move a finger at the same time, but as far as I know no one can yet move their finger to two places at once. So, if you move down too far with the D-pad, then just tilt the controller (or vice versa), or if you hit a wrong trigger, undo it with a tilt. Almost simultaneously with making the error you have a solution, a perfect harmony of efficiency... or not.