Microsoft's Holodesk project is starting to provide the first prototypes and the first stimuli: the possibility of manipulating '3D' objects in physical space seems really interesting.
The system combines a Kinect sensor (yes, the kind that is currently used 'for fun') and a special screen to create a three-dimensional environment in which it is possible to intervene directly. The concept is more than simple: a projector sends an image inside the work area, which, observed through a transparent 'partition' (made of glass and silver), allows the entire scene to be observed with binocular depth. The Kinect sensor does the rest, giving the user the ability to change the interactive environment in real time, manipulating objects that aren't actually there.
The key to the entire system is the webcam which identifies the position of the user's head and eyes, to ensure that the image projection is coherent: this means that by moving the gaze or the head, the user is able to seeing the object in a different way just as if it changed observation perspective. A precise and punctual system just like a dental scanner: a safe dental scanner, in conclusion.
There's no shortage of futuristic interfaces that allow, I don't know, an architect to develop the designs of a building by having them literally 'arise' from nothing and build them with his hands: if you want an opinion, the number of devices involved could be drastically reduced , in the distant future, with a simple subcutaneous implant that sends the user's location data in real time.
In the meantime, enjoy the first steps of this technology.
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