Augmented Reality Rock Climbing

Inspiration

Rock climbing is a great sport that doesn't attract the attention I think it deserves. In turning the sport into a game, there is more of a gateway for new, young climbers to gain interest in the sport.

What it does

The projector displays game objects on the climbing wall while the Kinect tracks the climber in relation to those objects so they can interact in a time-trial climbing game that adds a video-game feel to the sport of rock climbing.

How I built it

I used the PyKinect module for Microsoft's Kinect SDK to track the joints on the screen and pygame to add the graphics and animations in the game.

Challenges I ran into

I first had to learn how to extract the body tracking information from the Kinect. Then, to incorporate the projector, I was required to develop some form of a calibration system so the program knows where in space the projected game surface is.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I developed technology that I can now use to add touchscreen functionality to virtually any surface.

What I learned

I learned how to use pygame and the Kinect SDK. With the PyKinect module, I was able to extract the location of individual joints within space to track bodies, motion, and gestures.

What's next for Augmented Reality Rock Climbing

I am continuing to develop this project for regular use in climbing gyms. I am talking to multiple climbing gym owners that are interested in incorporating this unique feature for their customers to use.