Future Projections
Developed at the Department of Computer Science in Toronto by Xiang Cao, Clifton Forlines, and Ravin Balakrishnan, this handheld device projects elements typically found on personal computers such as email, photos and video games on to scalable, user defined surfaces. Objects or documents can be created virtually and then left for other users to view later. This video of the device in action “presents a framework to define and interact with multiple virtual information spaces embedded in a physical environment.”
Imagine having a laptop inside a mobile phone and no need for a monitor.
- 10-24-07
- Morgan Maher's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
Comments
While I find the potentials
While I find the potentials of this technology fascinating and could be used for some interesting purposes, I find the way they executed how the projector works to be quite convoluted, and the video itself is pretty hilarious - running somewhere between over-serious 1950's technical voiceover to a dubbed Godzilla type quality.
Dreaming It Up
The potentials of this are astounding. Typical email or video use is great and perhaps to be expected. But things like being able to leave virtual objects in space for others to view later is ...beyond! What if millions of people were able to view multi-millions of otherwise invisible objects in their daily environments. Imagine how many surprises there would be in your day. Imagine searching, like 'hide and go seek', bits of info or art or any number of novel things as you walked and lived your day. Imagine how clean the environment, particulary media environments like advertising could be if you only saw or engaged with something if you wanted to or if you had the correct password or specific need to do so.
Sure, the video is quaint. But it will be as charming, and even as nerdy, as those old pictures of Bill Gates. These guys are not marketeers, not some big corporation with a business plan. They're students, teachers, researchers. They're three guys in a lab dreaming it up and figuring it out.