The Great Face Race

So what do you get when you combine webcam based face tracking, online gaming, and the highly caffeinated minds over at Red Bull?  Red Bull Formula Face, the new online racing game that allows users to control a racecar with their face of course.

The game uses only the player’s facial expressions to control the car by using blinks to speed up,  lets users steer by moving their head side to side, and rumor has it that you can even get a special bonus for smiling!

Forumla Face is not the first game to use head tracking to control a game, in fact Nintendo briefly looked at the technology with their DSI handheld system and the game Kao Glider, and we even got a chance to see Waterloo Labs successful use of EOG eye tracking to control EyeMario. The biggest difference between Formula Face and previous endeavors into this arena, is Formula Face does not require any specialized equipment outside of a webcam equipped PC and of course, a face.

Not only is the game fairly entertaining, but it also serves as a good proof of concept for the possibility of future games using similar technology to allow gamers in need of assistive technology to move desired controls to facial functions.

Take a quick look at the video of Formula Face or play it in its entire head tracking glory here.

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