Sixth Sense Technology and the Possibilities for Future Devices
It has been a few years now since Microsoft announced their Surface technology. Touch technology, access to data, game functionality, etc., etc. It all sounded interesting if only it were not so terribly expensive and equally removed from being anything that could be confused with being portable. Of course since then mobile based technologies led by the ubiquitous iPhone abound, but a team over at MIT is attempting to take things to the next level with what they are calling the "Sixth Sense." The team points to the Surface-like touchpanel that Tom Cruise's character fingers throughout "Minority Report" to explain it, but since I don't recall much of that I'll stick with the MIT company line on Sixth Sense instead. They describe it as,
"A wearable data device that paves the way for data-rich interaction with the world."
Now this sounds an awful lot like a modern cell phone, but the concept of Sixth Sense is different from this. What the working prototype demoed at this year's Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference displayed was an attempt at direct tactile interaction with data in real life situations. The portable set up consisted of a collection of devices, including a mini projector, a camera, a cell phone and color-coated finger tip covers. With the right image recognition or marker technology attached to items users want to know more about, Sixth Sense could project set pieces of information anywhere using cell phone's access to the Internet for data gathering, and/or through the combination of projection and input recognition via finger tip attachments, allow users to input commands to search for a variety of related information. The examples used in the demo included product resources accessed and projected on the products themselves in the supermarket and content, like Amazon.com book reviews, called up through contact with a physical book copies. The device also will/would associate certain programmable hand gestures to specific tasks, such as taking a picture of the contents of a user's framed hands and projecting the current time in a specific spot. Nice, no more watch.
Interesting stuff this, and because of its portability and price -- estimated at not much more than $300 or so -- much more achievable on a large scale than Surface. But at the same time, it would also be very reliant on image recognition and marker technology, which the Surface uses and involves chip insertion into all items in use. Also, at the end of the video below the MIT speaker, Pattie Maes, makes a comment about a brain implant being another step in the unit's development. Whether she was kidding or not, myself not being quite ready for the hive mind, I don't think that would ever be a wise move, but if this technology ever became a reality at any level just think how it might alter personal electronics as we know them.
Take a look the the video below and see what you think:
--Tom Milnes
Michelle McCormack on April 05, 2009 at 12:55 PM
This got me thinking about meta data in general and my own meta data specifically.
What would my tag cloud be? What do I want it to be? Are those the same? Can I manipulate my own meta-data through some kind of ‘optimization’. Do I have to really optimize my life or can I simply spam myself with all kids of keywords ala ‘black-hat seo‘?
You hear people talk about the artificiality of the Internet, but what’s really happening, through data mining and impossible to get away from transparency, is that it’s becoming harder to get away from the reality of ourselves.
http://www.Twitter.com/MichelleMMM
JR on June 09, 2010 at 11:02 PM
It would seem that the 6th sense system fulfills an apparent need for individuals to work efficiently in the private and professional life within the structures of our society.
Why ?
1. The abundance of data in our society is apparent and valued.
2. The need to collect, sort, and organize into meaningful summaries/conclusions that lead and link to several others.
3. Does this drive action or justify action ?
4. Actions that control, correct, clean, modify, and to create new horizons.
5. A need to create a new reality to penetrate through our perceived boundaries.
At the same time there is a need to divide and isolate and define and sort. Humanity seems to be moving slowly from decision based myth to rapid individual factual decision making and action.
Is it a convenience or a necessity and for what reason in the end ?
Smoke signals or foot delivered messaging has evolved to instantaneous neural pathway connection matrix from a vast cloud of data.
Why does this world require such efficient systems embedded within our humanity.
This is exciting technology and seems to fit within our need to improve individual productivity. The trade off seems to be one freedom for another of perceived individual control.
Are we as a species evolving to prepare ourselves to migrate beyond our natural boundaries ? Will this be necessary ? Why ?
My guess, we should know within 25 yrs.
JR on June 09, 2010 at 11:39 PM
Looks like the system will evolve to connect our own six senses with a neural world cloud collection and eliminate the camera, mirror, micophone.
Will we connect collectively ? Why not ? Would this make us feel less alone ?
It seems that rather individual isolation a collective benefit may help survival of our species.
Our individual genetic survival may depend on what system we are connected with and who ultimately controls that system.
Our perceived need benefits who in the end ?
Who influences and controls our perceived need ?
In the end it is very difficult to manipulate and control those that do not adhere to a specific technological philosophy. What is to lure them away from their need for basic survival of food, water, and shelter.
The adherence of technology will further separate the species.
For humanity to move through its perceived boundaries it's total mass will need to be reduce.
Will survival be for those that adhere to our technological advances or those that do not and remain behind ?
One side is the fool. Is it the observer or the subject of this grand experiment ?
Perhaps, in 50 to 60 yrs we will find out.
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