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Research Group
Tracy Westeyn
Amy Hurst
Thad Starner
Research Organizations
GVU (Graphics, Visualization, and Usability) Center
Project Links
This application was designed for Perspective Workbench
During the game, the terminal of the remote player communicates with a vision system, the billiards client, that monitors the billiards game. Communication between the pool-player and the remote-player is facilitated by a camera and a projector that is positioned above the billiards table. Images from the camera are processed, and relevant data, including ball locations and ball descriptions, are transmitted to the remote terminal. The remote terminal uses this data to render a 3D model of the billiards table and of the balls currently on its surface. As the pool-player plays a game, the remote terminal updates this model using streaming data from the billiards client.
During his turn, the remote-player manipulates a rendered object, say a cube, via a mouse. When the cube is positioned over the 3D model of the billiards table, the remote terminal transmits a 2D representation of the object back to the billiards client. This 2D shape is then projected onto the surface of the billiards table and acts as a virtual obstacle. If, while trying to make a shot, any of the balls pass through this virtual obstacle then the remote-player is awarded a point. If the pool-player can successfully sink a ball and avoid having any balls pass through the virtual obstacle, then he is awarded a point. To ensure fair game play, certain restrictions have been placed on the remote-player. The position of the obstacle can only be modified when all of the balls on the billiards table have come to rest. The billiards client will notify the remote terminal when this event has occurred. The system also prevents the remote-player from placing the obstacle within a specified distance of any of the pockets or balls. This prevents the remote-player from placing the obstacle in such a way that it is impossible for the pool-player to avoid it.