14 DAY TRIAL // NVIDIA is always trying to improve the performance and functionality of its graphics processing units, and, like any other IT player, it definitely wants them to be a central part of future inventions. As such, it would not come as altogether surprising to hear that the company is putting effort into the development of technologies meant for interfaces capable of real-time motion detection. This would supposedly allow it to take on solutions like the ones used by video game console makers.
Game console makers used different means of achieving their goal but did not shrink from promoting motion sensing technology as the future of gaming. For example, devices powered by Cell processors, such as the one designed by Toshiba, already have a measure of gesture recognition. The report that says NVIDIA is involved in such research also implies that Microsoft Corp. will soon make a move in this field, if it hasn't already. Basically, the industry is trying to create a technology that allows devices to be controlled by means of gestures and motions, rendering even touchscreens obsolete, except when used for digital drawings or handwriting.
"Nvidia Research is working on some projects which involve image processing and image/object tracking and recognition. We also are aware of a number of University and other efforts to use CUDA and GPU computing for this sort of task," said David Kirk, an Nvidia fellow and the former chief scientist of the company, in a short conversation with X-bit labs.
On the other hand, motion sensing is not exactly seen as a pressing need, so the Santa Clara, California-based GPU maker will focus on other things for now, such as PhysX.
"As you observed with physics, and also I will mention ray tracing, there are many things that the 'conventional wisdom' asserts GPUs will not do well. Both of those areas now benefit substantially from GPU acceleration. We certainly enjoy proving conventional wisdom wrong, but our real goal is to delight end-users and make a difference in the marketplace," added Mr. Kirk.