Having access to information at the ready is something we think we have by using our smartphones to grab info off the web when we need it. But how long does that actually take? What if we had faster access without the hassle of using our smartphone's browser or the phone altogether for that matter? We just may be able to do so, and not in the distant future either. Pattie Maes and her team of researchers at MIT’s Media Labs are developing a device that incorporates a projector that shows information on any surface and lets us interact with that information through hand gestures. Sixth Sense, AKA Wear Ur World, uses a camera, a portable projector with a tiny mirror, colored caps for finger identification, and a cellphone to use as a hub for all the components to create an interactive environment accessible through hand gestures. You can for example use iconic gestures to take a picture or project a map of your area and use ‘pinching’ to zoom in or out on your location. Simply put you can project whatever your phones image is onto any surface, including your hand, and interface with it using gesturing. The cool thing about this technology is you can make your own right now with off the shelf components for as little as $350. However MIT plans on refining and ultimately making the unit more stylish for the near future. To see an amazing video of Sixth Sense being demonstrated at this year’s TED conference visit: http://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html
Eavesdropper
