Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, David Hufford, director of Xbox product management said, “Project Natal’s sophisticated 3D motion tracking camera was so sensitive it could register the minute muscular movements in a wayward golf swing.”

The unusual idea for Project Natal came from Hufford’s golf teacher when they discussed Project Natal’s possibilities during a golf lesson.

The system’s primary function will be in the video game world but can even be programmed to read sign language and respond to a persons voice.

The video gaming industry competes well on the money list with other industries such as the film, TV and music industry but the social impact has not met its match.

Hufford stated, We believe the final barrier between game players and the mass market is truly the game controller; it will always be the primary way gamers play their titles but in order to reach a broader audience we need to eliminate that barrier… and do what comes naturally when they play games.”

“Everybody in the world reads books, watches movies, enjoys music,” he said. “But not everybody plays games and I think the cultural impact of Project Natal will be profound – it will really push gaming into the mainstream.”

Iconic director and video game developer Steven Spieldberg commented, “This is a pivotal moment that will carry with it a wave of change, the ripples of which will reach far beyond video games”.

The new model, which will be known as the LG SB210 will feature a 3-megapixels camera, touch screen, compass, calorie counter, maps for 280 golf courses, and a GPS facility locater.

Other mainstream features are available like 242MB of built in memory with an additional slot for a microSD card to increase storage for the users media.

No word on US or European distribution but I bet we will be seeing this phone in the future and it currently carries a price tag of £330.