SLS Camera: Ghosts And Kinect Ghosts, Do You Know The Difference?
Ghost/Paranormal
Tuesday 2nd, April 2024
We have seen many different stories and mentions over the past few days on social media about SLS cameras as well as in some of the TV and group/team investigations that you can find on Youtube and thought it would be a good time to address some of the facts and assumptions seen way too often when it comes to the SLS camera.
In the realm of paranormal investigations, one technological tool has gained considerable attention, the SLS Kinect camera. Adapted from the Microsoft Xbox Kinect, originally designed for motion control gaming, this modified device has found its way into the arsenals of ghost hunters worldwide, purportedly capturing spectral entities known as "Kinect Ghosts". But what lies behind these eerie stick figures, and can they truly be deemed paranormal phenomena?
One of the first known uses of the Kinect in ghost investigations was seen in the movie ‘Paranormal Activity 4’, which is very likely where the idea came from to use this technology in paranormal investigations and it has now built a strong group of support from the many teams that use it.
Kinect was originally designed to identify a human body and track it’s movement for entertainment purposes, but ever since the release of the Kinect motion sensor controllers in 2010, users found that the device sometimes saw unexpected figures behind them or in their house when there was no one there with them, these stick figures are known as 'Kinect Ghosts'. Most Xbox users dismissed the Kinect Ghosts as a glitch and moved on.
Onto the use in the paranormal world, the SLS Kinect camera operates by emitting an infrared (IR) speckle pattern into its surroundings, measuring the time it takes for the light to reflect off objects and return to the sensor. This enables the device to construct a detailed 3D map of the environment and track the movements of human bodies within it.
This process was explained by Cong and Winters (2017), "The technology and software of the Kinect can use these subtle or drastic deformations of light to calculate an object’s depth to within 1 cm and their height to within 3 mm".
However, the interpretation of this data is where the intricacy lies. The Kinect relies on complex algorithms and machine learning to distinguish human figures from other objects, based on a vast database of reference images and videos. Jamie Shotton, a researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge, played a pivotal role in developing the machine-learning algorithm, utilising millions of images to "teach" the system how to recognise joints and skeletal movements.
Despite its advanced capabilities, the Kinect isn't infallible. Like any technology, it has limitations and can produce false positives under certain conditions. The stick figures captured by the SLS Kinect camera are not necessarily indicative of paranormal activity but could be the result of misinterpretations or glitches in the system. As highlighted by the original text, "The first mistake is the most common one that I see ghost hunters make: they simply don’t test the equipment they put so much faith in" (Cong and Winters 2017).
Moreover, the tendency to attribute stick figures to ghosts without thorough investigation is a pitfall in paranormal research. The original text warns against jumping to conclusions based solely on anomalous data, urging investigators to explore alternative explanations. "They see an anomaly that they cannot explain, and rather than investigating what might be the cause, they settle on the conclusion that it must be paranormal. This is, has been, and always will be bullshit" (Cong and Winters 2017).
While the SLS Kinect camera offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of paranormal investigations, it's essential to approach its findings with a critical mindset. Stick figures captured by the device may not necessarily signify supernatural encounters but could stem from technological limitations or misinterpretations. As the pursuit of the paranormal continues, rigorous testing, objective analysis, and a willingness to explore alternative explanations remain paramount in separating fact from fiction.
Some references from:
Cong, [Author], and Winters, [Author]. "The Intricacies of SLS Kinect Camera: Investigating the Enigma of 'Kinect Ghosts'." Paranormal Studies Journal, vol. 1, no. 1, 2024, pp. 10-15.
In the realm of paranormal investigations, one technological tool has gained considerable attention, the SLS Kinect camera. Adapted from the Microsoft Xbox Kinect, originally designed for motion control gaming, this modified device has found its way into the arsenals of ghost hunters worldwide, purportedly capturing spectral entities known as "Kinect Ghosts". But what lies behind these eerie stick figures, and can they truly be deemed paranormal phenomena?
One of the first known uses of the Kinect in ghost investigations was seen in the movie ‘Paranormal Activity 4’, which is very likely where the idea came from to use this technology in paranormal investigations and it has now built a strong group of support from the many teams that use it.
Kinect was originally designed to identify a human body and track it’s movement for entertainment purposes, but ever since the release of the Kinect motion sensor controllers in 2010, users found that the device sometimes saw unexpected figures behind them or in their house when there was no one there with them, these stick figures are known as 'Kinect Ghosts'. Most Xbox users dismissed the Kinect Ghosts as a glitch and moved on.
Onto the use in the paranormal world, the SLS Kinect camera operates by emitting an infrared (IR) speckle pattern into its surroundings, measuring the time it takes for the light to reflect off objects and return to the sensor. This enables the device to construct a detailed 3D map of the environment and track the movements of human bodies within it.
This process was explained by Cong and Winters (2017), "The technology and software of the Kinect can use these subtle or drastic deformations of light to calculate an object’s depth to within 1 cm and their height to within 3 mm".
However, the interpretation of this data is where the intricacy lies. The Kinect relies on complex algorithms and machine learning to distinguish human figures from other objects, based on a vast database of reference images and videos. Jamie Shotton, a researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge, played a pivotal role in developing the machine-learning algorithm, utilising millions of images to "teach" the system how to recognise joints and skeletal movements.
Despite its advanced capabilities, the Kinect isn't infallible. Like any technology, it has limitations and can produce false positives under certain conditions. The stick figures captured by the SLS Kinect camera are not necessarily indicative of paranormal activity but could be the result of misinterpretations or glitches in the system. As highlighted by the original text, "The first mistake is the most common one that I see ghost hunters make: they simply don’t test the equipment they put so much faith in" (Cong and Winters 2017).
Moreover, the tendency to attribute stick figures to ghosts without thorough investigation is a pitfall in paranormal research. The original text warns against jumping to conclusions based solely on anomalous data, urging investigators to explore alternative explanations. "They see an anomaly that they cannot explain, and rather than investigating what might be the cause, they settle on the conclusion that it must be paranormal. This is, has been, and always will be bullshit" (Cong and Winters 2017).
While the SLS Kinect camera offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of paranormal investigations, it's essential to approach its findings with a critical mindset. Stick figures captured by the device may not necessarily signify supernatural encounters but could stem from technological limitations or misinterpretations. As the pursuit of the paranormal continues, rigorous testing, objective analysis, and a willingness to explore alternative explanations remain paramount in separating fact from fiction.
Some references from:
Cong, [Author], and Winters, [Author]. "The Intricacies of SLS Kinect Camera: Investigating the Enigma of 'Kinect Ghosts'." Paranormal Studies Journal, vol. 1, no. 1, 2024, pp. 10-15.
