Entries tagged with:

Sixth Sense

Bright New Thing: SixthSense

The digital world has given us many tools with which to improve our experiences in the real world. Due to the nature of these tools, the experiences we have with the digital are usually limited to our screens or as ideas on paper. Even when portable, digital devices don’t allow us to experience any proper form of interaction between digital and reality.

A new technology called SixthSense is described as a “wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us”, serves as one of the first attempts at blurring the boundaries between the digital and real worlds.

SixthSense is a prototype that consists of a pocket projector, a mirror and a camera. Using these components, movement is tracked through markers that are placed on a user’s fingertips. This data is then allows the user to navigate through virtual interfaces, using specific gestural motions. For example, a user can take a photo of a scene by using their fingers to frame the relevant piece of scenery. SixthSense then recognizes the gesture, and performs the corresponding action. It also allows the user to draw icons or symbols that can be recognized as interaction suggestions, e.g. drawing an “@” sign lets a user check their email. SitxhSense can also work with physical objects; for example, a newspaper can display a video, and the gesture of drawing a circle around one’s wrist could project an analog watch.

According to the SixthSense project site, the prototype system would only cost $350 to build. It is the future…