A new patent filed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe describes how PSP can be used to operate a remote car with a mounted camera.
The car and camera duo is connected to the PSP via a wireless link. The user controls the car using the standard PSP controls as he watches the camera's feedback on the handheld's screen.
The patent explicitly explains that "a user may control the car so as to spy on their friends... then upload the stored video images to a website."
The car will also include a speaker and/or a microphone. The microphone, obviously, will be used to record audio along with the camera's video. The speakers will be used to play music or to reproduce real cars' sounds.
The gist of the proposed system is to allow gamers to race within "augmented reality zones". These are explained as areas with " virtual markers and paths that players physically create." In other words, players will be able to create their own racing tracks and race through them. When the car leaves the augmented reality zone, it stops moving, so that you don't drive down a stair for example.
Supposedly, the system will be able to show the objects within the augmented reality zone in their real life form, or replace them with computer generated images. This means that your sofa may be replaced by a mountain and a stack of books might be translated to the empire state building.
Keep in mind that until now, this is just a patent and the system may never see production.
