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Now even the clumsiest can take to the streets on a skateboard, after laboratory wizards created a longboard powered by voice control and hand movement.
Taking a motorized longboard, the technology team at Chaotic Moon Labs fitted it with a Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect device, a Samsung Windows 8 tablet with voice control, a phidget interface module, and sturdy all terrain tires for their 'Board of Awesomeness'.
Branded 'Project Sk8' the team sent one of their crew out to road test the impressive electronic board which, using Kinect technology, is controlled by user's movement.
Board of Awesomeness! The team kitted the long board out with a motor, all terrain tyres, a Kinect pad and a voice control tablet
Project Sk8: The board was given a high-tech makeover where users can control it with their voice and hand gestures
Capable of reaching a speedy 32mph, Chaotic Moon Labs say they wanted to prove how they 'revolutionized Kinect by re-engineering it to not only respond to movement but use that movement to operate something other than a gaming avatar.'
On their website, the team explained hwo it worked: 'Video recognition, speech recognition, location data, accelerometer data, and other factors determine what the user wants to do and allow the board to follow the operator’s commands without other aid.
'Very similar to using Kinect for Xbox 360, the Kinect device on our Board of Awesomeness transmits the user’s gestures and movement to the Samsung Windows 8 tablet that serves as the board’s central brain by controlling the speed of the board’s electric motor, which is up to 32 miles per hour.'
To start the board the user grabs Kinect's attention by gesturing, and using the Windows 8 tablet fitted to the top of the board, they can turn the board on and off, control speed settings, and visually monitor their gestures.
Taking to the streets: The high-tech play thing can reach speeds of up to 32 mph
The team wrote: 'To get started, the user merely has to raise their hands to signal the Kinect device, look for the red dots to appear on their hands, and they are ready to roll.'
They boasted the only movement needed was pushing the hands forward to speed up and pulling the hands back to slow down or stop.
Project Sk8, who said the idea was born after they wanted to make Kinect 'do something it shouldn't', are keeping their plans for the board secret for the present.
No hands! One member of the Chaotic Moon team tests the motorized board out by gesturing to the Kinect device
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