Intelligent Machines

Watch the Hand

The PlayStation controller uses a lighted globe at the end of a wand (two are shown below) to precisely place a character in three-dimensional space. A camera tracks the ball to determine the position of the player’s hand; crucially, it uses the apparent size of the ball to gauge depth. This allows precise placement of a character’s hand, which is helpful when shooting things.

Courtesy of Sony

Product: PlayStation Move motion controller

Cost: $50 ($100 bundled with required ­PlayStation Eye camera; console sold separately)

Availability: September 2010

Source: us.playstation.com/ps3/playstation-move

Company: Sony