Sunday, February 14, 2010
SixthSence Technology
SixthSense' is a wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us with digital information and lets us use natural hand gestures to interact with that information.
We've evolved over millions of years to sense the world around us. When we encounter something, someone or some place, we use our five natural senses to perceive information about it; that information helps us make decisions and chose the right actions to take. But arguably the most useful information that can help us make the right decision is not naturally perceivable with our five senses, namely the data, information and knowledge that mankind has accumulated about everything and which is increasingly all available online. Although the miniaturization of computing devices allows us to carry computers in our pockets, keeping us continually connected to the digital world, there is no link between our digital devices and our interactions with the physical world. Information is confined traditionally on paper or digitally on a screen. SixthSense bridges this gap, bringing intangible, digital information out into the tangible world, and allowing us to interact with this information via natural hand gestures. ‘SixthSense’ frees information from its confines by seamlessly integrating it with reality, and thus making the entire world your computer.
The SixthSense prototype is comprised of a pocket projector, a mirror and a camera. The hardware components are coupled in a pendant like mobile wearable device. Both the projector and the camera are connected to the mobile computing device in the user’s pocket. The projector projects visual information enabling surfaces, walls and physical objects around us to be used as interfaces; while the camera recognizes and tracks user's hand gestures and physical objects using computer-vision based techniques. The software program processes the video stream data captured by the camera and tracks the locations of the colored markers (visual tracking fiducials) at the tip of the user’s fingers using simple computer-vision techniques. The movements and arrangements of these fiducials are interpreted into gestures that act as interaction instructions for the projected application interfaces. The maximum number of tracked fingers is only constrained by the number of unique fiducials, thus SixthSense also supports multi-touch and multi-user interaction.
The SixthSense prototype implements several applications that demonstrate the usefulness, viability and flexibility of the system. The map application lets the user navigate a map displayed on a nearby surface using hand gestures, similar to gestures supported by Multi-Touch based systems, letting the user zoom in, zoom out or pan using intuitive hand movements. The drawing application lets the user draw on any surface by tracking the fingertip movements of the user’s index finger. SixthSense also recognizes user’s freehand gestures (postures). For example, the SixthSense system implements a gestural camera that takes photos of the scene the user is looking at by detecting the ‘framing’ gesture. The user can stop by any surface or wall and flick through the photos he/she has taken. SixthSense also lets the user draw icons or symbols in the air using the movement of the index finger and recognizes those symbols as interaction instructions. For example, drawing a magnifying glass symbol takes the user to the map application or drawing an ‘@’ symbol lets the user check his mail. The SixthSense system also augments physical objects the user is interacting with by projecting more information about these objects projected on them. For example, a newspaper can show live video news or dynamic information can be provided on a regular piece of paper. The gesture of drawing a circle on the user’s wrist projects an analog watch.
The current prototype system costs approximate $350 to build.
For More Info: http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense/
Pranav Mistry - India's Pride
The SixthSense turns walls, sheets of paper & othr surfaces into screens which u can use to browse d net & do more...
If Pranav has his way, ppl around d wrld can build their own wearable ‘SixthSense’ - which uses a camera tat undrstnds human gestures - @ a cost of less than Rs 15,000 ($300) in d next few mnths.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Valentines Day & Chinese New Year coincidently falling on February 14, 2010
On February 14 coincidently Chinese New Year, Year of the Tiger and Valentine’s Day falls on the same date .On one hand Valentine’s Day is considered as a day of affection and love representing the day of lovers. Valentine’s Day should also accompany girlfriend and boyfriend ah, otherwise there will be regrets.
“According to tradition, New Year’s Day is the most important day of the Spring Festival, and on this day family should be involved in celebrations.
“Love is indeed invaluable, family prices higher.” Although in recent years, Christmas, Valentine’s Day become very popular in China, but according number of websites on the Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day choice survey, the majority of people choose to spend Spring Festival with their families. Although they find it difficult to choose, many people still respect traditional family as the most important. Some people said they will spent afternoon time with lovers and evening with families so clash will not bother them.
Spring Festival is a traditional festival, usually busy with work and people had very little chance to go home to visit the Spring Festival, the parents naturally want to go home had a good chat with their kids and family members. Valentine’s Day this year mixed with the coming year. Falling of two significant days together gives a good feeling.
Girls will naturally be at home with their parents for lunch and dinner, but the afternoon could take time with their boyfriend to a favorite restaurant, a coffee shop Meet, or watching a movie. This arrangement can serve two purposes, both the Lunar New Year celebration, family reunion, but also the feeling of a romantic Valentine’s Day, warm. It was also much more value on Valentine’s Day, hope everyone will spend a romantic New Year’s Day specially in China.