The Fluid Interfaces group from MIT’s Media Lab has unveiled their interesting 6-sided display cube at MIT’s open house this year for the general public. The cube (known as Display Blocks) features six 1.25 inch 128 X 128 OLED screens that are all in sync with each other much like multiple monitor set-ups for the PC. Each screen uses its own microcontroller and memory card with a single battery pack powering all screens collectively. Display Blocks also makes use of a Zigbee radio which lets the user sync pics and apps wirelessly from a computer. The applications for the cube seem almost unlimited with examples such as an orthographic visualization and exploration device which gives the viewer a 3D representation of an object giving the ability to see each side respectively. It could also be used for multiple perspectives on data. For instance translations of the same word in different languages. Another would be multi-dimensional visualization where you can see a movie being played on one side of the cube while approaching frames are shown on the lateral displays. As it currently stands, the Fluid Interfaces group has only a couple of prototypes and is yet unknown whether they will release a commercial version for manufacturing anytime soon.
Eavesdropper