® www.ghostsofohio.org Volume 12 Issue 4 FROM THE SPOOKY DESK OF JAMES WILLIS: Yeah, I know, On April 3rd, I didn’t get coffee, but she day for fools (and tomfoolery, for that April 1st is long did tell me my shoes were untied, my hair matter), but it stands to reason that if you’re gone. But try was gone, and my tongue had fallen on the an April Fool, you’re that way the entire telling that to floor. April 4th was when she told me there month of April (or even longer), right? my daughter, were deer in the back yard, my computer Guess it just goes to show that no matter Courtney. was broken, and that one of our cats had how old you are or how long you’ve 2015 marks the pooped in the dining room. All of which, been doing something, if you look hard year when my while being quite plausible, turned out to enough, you’ll eventually find a different four-year-old not be true. perspective. And that’s exactly what I’ve daughter first When I tried to explain to Courtney that been preaching about when it comes to “got” April Fools’ we only play April Fools’ jokes on April paranormal research! st Day. Or so I 1 , she got this really serious look on her Until next time, be well and never stop thought. The day started with Courtney face and said, “Why?” I told her it was looking for what’s not there. bringing me my morning cup of coffee… because April 1st was April Fools’ Day, filled with ice water. Being the cool dad to which she replied, “I say ‘April Fool’, Oh yeah, and your shoelaces are untied. that I am, I fell for her clever ruse andhe did not ‘April hostsFools’ Day.’” ofCheers, hio one of the biggest spit-takes known to Leave it to a four-year-old to change my man. Courtney dug it. So much so that I lifelong beliefs in something. believe I did four such spit-takes on April But she’s right, all my life, I’ve been 1st alone. I say “alone” because on the Newsletter reserving my April Fools’ jokes for April morning of April 2nd, here comes James A. Willis st O 1 . And why? Sure, I guess it’s the official Courtney with my “coffee.”T Twice. g Founder/Director TESTING OUT THE When our newest were in the process of measuring an including its capabilities and limitations. member, Frank energy field when they turned this on and Could it actually be useful on Yensel, mentioned saw a stick image emerge that can only be investigations? that he bought this discerned as a person. They asked the device to try on image to move around, raise its arms and The system, touted in the brochure as a investigations, I interact. It was captivating. I was hooked. “portable camera with a variety of can’t say we were I had to get one.” Apparently, so did a lot sensors,” is essentially a tablet (with all that surprised. of other people. It was out of stock when special software) attached to an Xbox Frank is our Frank called to order one, and he was put Kinect. If you’re familiar with gaming, self-proclaimed on a waiting list. He received it a couple then you’ll know that when you play an “gadget guy,” months (and $1,275) later. “I thought it Xbox game, the Kinect has an array of purchasing was a great value if it performed as I saw sensors that allow the game to “see” you inventions that he sees on programs like it in the episode.” in order to create your character on the Ghost Adventures so that he can try them screen, thereby allowing your basic image out and see if they have any real benefit We asked Frank to bring the Xcam system to be the game controller. when investigating the paranormal. “When to one of our monthly meetings so that we I saw Ghost Adventures set up the Xcam,” could conduct some experiments with it. Let’s get technical about the Xbox Kinect Frank writes, “it was captivating. They We wanted to know how it works, for a moment in order to better understand what it does. The hardware contains three (continued on page 2.) 1 The Ghosts of Ohio Newsletter Volume 12 Issue 4 TESTING OUT THE CONT. important things that allow it to detect for this limitation is that gamers would be recorded at all. And regarding recording, your body and your movements. First is an standing relatively close to the camera, the Xcam only records in 10-minute RGB (Red, Green, Blue) video camera certainly not more than 25 feet away. increments. Plus, the AC hole is the same with a resolution of 640x480. It takes 30 one that connects the camera to the tablet, samples per second in order to track your Regarding figures, while it does not detect so there’s no way to have the unit plugged movements throughout a game. Second, animals like house cats, it does detect into a wall while recording! The Xcam there is a monochromatic depth sensor that children and adults...AND also posts and certainly seems less than ideal for full uses infrared to measure how far you are other vertical objects that it mistakes for investigations. away from the unit. Third, there is a human. Let’s remember that the Kinect’s microphone (actually, an array of four original purpose was to lock onto players This brings us to Frank’s comments about microphones) that isolates players’ voices in a game. Since it’s looking for objects the Xcam’s performance at a recent from other background noise. that are in a generally upright, human investigation at a restaurant. Here’s what he position, it will assume that a vertical post had to say: “I set up the camera and The software for the Xbox Kinect uses is human, giving it a head, arms, and legs discovered some limitations. The device is a special algorithms to analyze all of the like a person. It’s also programmed to camera with a mini pad mounted to it. The data collected by these three components, match figures to human skeletal structures, camera runs off the battery in the computer mapping out the game environment and which is why it couldn’t detect cats. The and cannot run on a plug. The viewing the players involved. It creates human screen kicks off after a period of time, so models based on a pre-programmed someone needs to watch it and touch the collection of skeletal structures. screen to keep it in view. There is a record button that will allow for continuous Okay, now that we know how the capture of screen view in 10-minute Kinect works, here’s how the Xcam intervals. So either you stand by and hit SLS “Structured Light Sensor” record when you see something worthy of Camera system works. capture, or you just keep hitting the record button every 10 minutes. All captured Essentially, the Xcam SLS system images can be downloaded for permanent uses Kinect technology in an attempt viewing later.” to detect figures in its field of vision that are both visible and invisible to Frank continued, “In the VERY brief the human eye, like ghosts. Stripped operation brochure it mentions how to of the software that creates game turn it on and off, but from a technical characters, the figures that appear on viewpoint this is all T & E. Trial and the Xcam tablet screen (human or error until you ‘get it.’ It would be great ghostly) are nothing more than basic if it had a continuous power source. You humanoid stick figures. To be honest, never know when the battery would quit this is a bit creepy, especially since at an inopportune time. The software is nearly everything on the screen is in included and is fairly easy to get grainy gray scale except for occasional operational. But honestly, what are we pops of red, blue, or green that signal really seeing? Are comparing the presence of an “anomaly.” (By the temperature and light differences way, red is an object closest to the unit, cats were not in upright positions, and the material to identifying spirits? Time will followed by green, and then blue.) Not software isn’t capable of creating stick tell as we use it. However, I must admit my only is there a video screen, but the figures from things that aren’t upright. skeptic antenna has gone up.” Xcam’s software also graphs audio, distance, and temperature over the course The Xcam has other limitations, too. It I agree, Frank. While it’s interesting (and of an investigation. cannot detect anything through glass, like admirable) that someone has attempted to windows or sliding glass doors. Also, adapt current technology — Xbox Kinect Now for the fun part: trying it out. We while it can distinguish between hot and — in a new and unique way, the limitations planned a number of scenarios to test the cold objects (hot things appear darker, of this particular technology far outweigh Xcam in an effort to discern its capabilities while cold things are whiter), it is not able the benefits when investigating the and limitations. We discovered that it’s to measure the temperature of anything paranormal. best used in a confined environment, like a specific. It seems to measure the ambient small room, since it doesn’t detect temperature of the area around the camera.