Making Things See

A Note About Calibration

In order for OpenNI’s algorithm to begin tracking a person’s joints, it needs the person to be standing in a known pose. Specifically, you have to stand with your feet together and your arms raised above your shoulders on the sides of your head. This pose is known by various names. In the technical literature and in PrimeSense’s own documentation it is called the “Psi” pose. Other designers refer to it as the “submissive” pose because of its close resemblance to the position you’d assume if someone pointed a gun at you.

By whatever name, this calibration pose always stimulates a lot of discussion among designers working with the Kinect. Sometimes it is simply an inconvenience. If you have an idea that requires tracking ...