diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index 5b6aea3c2..ecee8c446 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <cassert>
 
 #include <iostream>
+#include <utility>
 
 #include <components/misc/fileops.hpp>
 #include <components/bsa/bsa_archive.hpp>
@@ -70,6 +71,15 @@ bool OMW::Engine::frameStarted(const Ogre::FrameEvent& evt)
     // update actors
     mEnvironment.mMechanicsManager->update();
 
+    if (focusFrameCounter++ == focusUpdateFrame)
+    {
+        std::pair<std::string, float> handle = mEnvironment.mWorld->getMWScene()->getFacedHandle();
+        
+        std::cout << "Object: " << handle.first << ", distance: " << handle.second << std::endl;
+
+        focusFrameCounter = 0;
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -233,6 +243,8 @@ void OMW::Engine::go()
     MWInput::MWInputManager input(mOgre, mEnvironment.mWorld->getPlayerPos(),
                                   *mEnvironment.mWindowManager, mDebug);
 
+    focusFrameCounter = 0;
+    
     std::cout << "\nPress Q/ESC or close window to exit.\n";
 
     mOgre.getRoot()->addFrameListener (this);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
index 9923f4990..412c4fa73 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ namespace OMW
             Compiler::Context *mScriptContext;
             OEngine::GUI::MyGUIManager *mGuiManager;
 
+            int focusFrameCounter;
+            static const int focusUpdateFrame = 10;
+
             // not implemented
             Engine (const Engine&);
             Engine& operator= (const Engine&);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwinput/inputmanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwinput/inputmanager.cpp
index f32e207dc..f851b43b2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwinput/inputmanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwinput/inputmanager.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ namespace MWInput
       A_MoveForward,    // Forward / Backward
       A_MoveBackward,
 
+      A_Activate,
+
       A_LAST            // Marker for the last item
     };
 
@@ -133,6 +135,11 @@ namespace MWInput
       else setGuiMode(GM_Console);
     }
 
+    void activate()
+    {
+
+    }
+
     // Exit program now button (which is disabled in GUI mode)
     void exitNow()
     {
@@ -170,6 +177,8 @@ namespace MWInput
                        "Toggle inventory screen");
       disp->funcs.bind(A_Console, boost::bind(&InputImpl::toggleConsole, this),
                        "Toggle console");
+      disp->funcs.bind(A_Activate, boost::bind(&InputImpl::activate, this),
+                       "Activate");
 
 
       // Add the exit listener
@@ -212,6 +221,7 @@ namespace MWInput
       disp->bind(A_Screenshot, KC_SYSRQ);
       disp->bind(A_Inventory, KC_I);
       disp->bind(A_Console, KC_F1);
+      disp->bind(A_Activate, KC_SPACE);
 
       // Key bindings for polled keys
 
@@ -257,6 +267,7 @@ namespace MWInput
       if(moveX != 0 || moveY != 0 || moveZ != 0)
         player.moveRel(moveX, moveY, moveZ);
 
+
       return true;
     }
   };
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/mwscene.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/mwscene.cpp
index 489b5f242..15163d7a2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/mwscene.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/mwscene.cpp
@@ -31,4 +31,53 @@ MWScene::MWScene(OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer &_rend)
   SceneNode *rt = rend.getScene()->getRootSceneNode();
   mwRoot = rt->createChildSceneNode();
   mwRoot->pitch(Degree(-90));
+
+  //used to obtain ingame information of ogre objects (which are faced or selected)
+  mRaySceneQuery = rend.getScene()->createRayQuery(Ray());
 }
+
+std::pair<std::string, float> MWScene::getFacedHandle()
+{
+    std::string handle = "";
+    float distance = -1;
+
+    //get a ray pointing to the center of the viewport
+    Ray centerRay = getCamera()->getCameraToViewportRay(
+        getViewport()->getWidth()/2,
+        getViewport()->getHeight()/2);
+
+    // get all objects touched by the ray
+    getRaySceneQuery()->setRay (centerRay );
+    RaySceneQueryResult &result = getRaySceneQuery()->execute();
+
+    RaySceneQueryResult::iterator nearest = result.end();
+
+    for (RaySceneQueryResult::iterator itr = result.begin();
+        itr != result.end(); itr++ )
+    {
+        // there seem to be omnipresent objects like the caelum sky dom,
+        // the distance of these objects is always 0 so this if excludes these
+        // TODO: Check if the object can be focused (ignore walls etc..
+        // in this state of openmw not possible)
+        if ( itr->movable && itr->distance >= 0.1)
+        {
+            if ( nearest == result.end() )  //if no object is set
+            {
+                nearest = itr;
+            }
+            else if ( itr->distance < nearest->distance )
+            {
+                nearest = itr;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if ( nearest != result.end() )
+    {
+        handle = nearest->movable->getParentSceneNode()->getName();
+        distance = nearest->distance;
+    }
+
+    return std::pair<std::string, float>(handle, distance);
+}
+
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/mwscene.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/mwscene.hpp
index a7339e1c8..ce04efc92 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/mwscene.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/mwscene.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef _GAME_RENDER_MWSCENE_H
 #define _GAME_RENDER_MWSCENE_H
 
+#include <utility>
 #include <openengine/ogre/renderer.hpp>
 
 namespace Ogre
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ namespace Ogre
     class Viewport;
     class SceneManager;
     class SceneNode;
+    class RaySceneQuery;
 }
 
 namespace MWRender
@@ -26,6 +28,7 @@ namespace MWRender
     // that the OGRE coordinate system matches that used internally in
     // Morrowind.
     Ogre::SceneNode *mwRoot;
+    Ogre::RaySceneQuery *mRaySceneQuery;
 
   public:
     MWScene(OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer &_rend);
@@ -34,6 +37,13 @@ namespace MWRender
     Ogre::SceneNode *getRoot() { return mwRoot; }
     Ogre::SceneManager *getMgr() { return rend.getScene(); }
     Ogre::Viewport *getViewport() { return rend.getViewport(); }
+    Ogre::RaySceneQuery *getRaySceneQuery() { return mRaySceneQuery; }
+
+    //gets the handle of the object the player is looking at
+    //pair<name, distance>
+    //name is empty and distance = -1 if there is no object which
+    //can be faced
+    std::pair<std::string, float> getFacedHandle();
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/world.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/world.hpp
index 9030b0c1b..354c3603c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/world.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/world.hpp
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             ~World();
 
+            MWRender::MWScene* getMWScene() { return &mScene; }
+
             MWRender::PlayerPos& getPlayerPos();
 
             ESMS::ESMStore& getStore();