Consoles previously deemed suitable for “hardcore gamers” alone have been going through lots of rebranding strategies as of late to become more family-friendly “entertainment centers.” But here’s one you probably haven’t heard of before, courtesy of the “Compact, Hyper-Insulated Prot House otype Solar” (or CHIP for short) recently created by students from the California Institute of Technology and the Southern California Institute of Architecture:

Adding to the sci-fi appeal of this unusual living space, an Xbox Kinect command station allows occupants to control home systems (such as lighting) with simple hand gestures. As a back up, a 3D camera tracks movement in the space and has lights turned off when an area becomes empty.

This really gives “playing house” a whole new meaning.

–Yannick LeJacq

[Image and Story via PSFK]