With a webcam and a 3D printed cube, researchers develop 3D controller system that could be used in anything from gaming to medical diagnoses.

Researchers from North Carolina State University have created a prototype for controlling 3D modelling software which uses a 3D printed cube and a webcam.

It promises simpler interaction for students and designers when working, whether they’re virtually exploring the layout of a new building or the pathways of the human heart.

The name of the new system is Captive, and it’s rather clever. Firstly, a simple wire-frame of a cube is made with 3D printing. On each corner is a colorful sphere. The movement of these spheres are tracked with custom computer vision software.

Using an ordinary webcam, the software can map exactly where the cube is moving in physical space. From there, it can translate these movements into inputs for controlling 3D modeling software. It allows six degrees of freedom while manipulating an object.

See the prototype in action in the video below:

This 3D Printed Cube is Not Captive to Cost

The intriguing thing about Captive is that it’s not reinventing the wheel (or cube). This type of control system already exists, but it’s hideously expensive. By contrast, Captive is appealingly low-cost. All that’s necessary is to 3D print the cube and then install the software.

Moreover, it’s almost twice as fast as existing commercial software. According to Zeyuan Chen, lead author of a paper describing Captive:

“Basically, there’s no latency; no detectable lag time between what the user is doing and what they see on screen. There are a number of tools on the market that can be used to manipulate 3-D virtual objects, but Captive allows users to perform these tasks much more quickly.”

Captive’s creators are confident that their system could be useful for a huge number of applications. These range from education to video games; from design tools to medical diagnoses. But there are no details yet on when the software becomes commercially available.

Source: Press Release