Wow, if you have not heard of this new invention like myself, you will be in for quite a surprise!
The new Sixth Sense technology was originally proposed by MIT Media Lab student Steve Mann in 1998, and was further developed in 2009 by the genius Pranav Mistry from India (also a student from MIT Media Lab).
This invention is like none we have seen before since it connects the physical world with the technology world. The technology contains a pocket projector as well as a mirror and a camera in a wearable device that can go around your neck. The projector and camera are sensors which connect to a mobile computing device, hidden in the user's pocket. While the projector displays images on walls, objects, a piece of paper, the camera tracks hand gestures and physical objects.
With this invention (similar to the idea of the Kinect games), one does not need a phone, a camera, an iPad or other devices. This is because the Sixth Sense would allow you to do everything! You can use your fingers to make the gesture of a camera to take a picture, or draw the outline of a watch on your wrist for an image of a watch to appear with the current time. It will also allow you to clip the projector onto a piece of paper to turn it into an iPad, allowing you to watch movies or play games (turning the paper for the same kinesthetic affect). If you are at a grocery store and are trying to decide what brand of toothpaste to buy, by picking up the object, the product can be scanned and connected to the internet, allowing you to see reviews of the product. At the same time, when you are in a taxi on the way to the airport, you can check easily if your flight is on time or delayed by holding onto your flight ticket. There is no need to pull out your phone and search on the internet. The Sixth Sense will do this automatically for you. Even more astonishing, this technology will allow you to be reading the newspaper and immediately as you hold the paper, new updates on the weather or news will visually appear (as seen in Harry Potter). For your convenience, you can then scan your hand across a desktop computer to transfer all the data that you've collected (pictures, documents, etc.) to your computer.
Surprisingly, this technology may not only change the interaction we have with the physical world, but it may change our interactions with people as well. When you are meeting someone, you can scan your fingers near the person and actually see words taken from social networks, describing the person, such as "friendly, single, accounting manager".
These are just a few examples of astonishing functions that this new technology can do. Please watch the videos below to familiarize yourself with Sixth Sense technology and to meet the brilliant inventor, Pranav Mistry.
Pranav Mistry- Ted Talk on Sixth Sense technology
Ted Talk- Sixth Sense technology (short version)
Pranav Mistry Sixth Sense website
I'm not so sure how this will change our world, but it seems that it will allow us to connect once again with our physical world, possibly improving our health. We won't be hunched over at computers as often or staring at our small devices, straining our eyes, but instead, having focused conversations with people again. Also, we will have the opportunity to find out any information by just touching or scanning actual objects in our world. It reminds me of a futuristic movie, like The Matrix. The invention could bring some problems, however; like the exposure of people's personal information or identity. Just as Pranav Mistry mentions, these issues are still in the works of improvement, as well as the final design (one idea was nail polish on your finger tips as the cameras/ monitors). Pranav Mistry hints that the technology might only cost $350 or so- a very low cost for such a high-quality, multi-use futuristic product! Though I do not know when this technology will come out, I sure hope soon!
Cheers to our gifted inventors and our hopeful, remarkable future!
Resources
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrtANPtnhyg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ-VjUKAsao
http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SixthSense
http://www2.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?TRID=816