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I'm at SIGGRAPH... Wish You Were Here |
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Whether we look at the history of technological advancement in transportation or the entertainment industry, it's clear to see that one unchanging fact about humans is that we continually seek to be somewhere else. Perhaps due to the expectation that the grass is always greener on the other side or perhaps simply because we want to know what color the grass is, whether better or not, but humans have a curiosity that drives them to investigate and travel... and then wonder what things are like wherever they just left. (All Images below are courtesy of ACM SIGGRAPH 2009 Media Images CD; Artist unknown.)
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This desire to be elsewhere and to experience things from far away places leads to a lot of interesting experimentation. Take, for example, the "Funbrella." Imagine an umbrella that can record what certain rain "feels" like as it hits the umbrella and that can play back this feeling, to allow you to experience the same sensation again... or to experience the sensation of a rainstorm a friend got caught in... or to experience inclement weather from across the globe while talking to someone who's currently experiencing it first hand. The useful applications may be somewhat limited, but the Funbrella offers a way to share and/or relive an experience, or as the developers at the Human Interface Engineering Lab say, "Make and feel our rain one more time." And, as would be expected, even the demonstration that was given went beyond simple rainfall, to heavy rain, buckets of water being poured onto the Funbrella, spaghetti being dropped onto it, even plastic snakes being dropped onto the Funbrella gave realistic sensations. It was an intersting... and fun... experience.
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Of course, there are more practical (and, perhaps, less fun) needs for remote human interaction and shared experience. Another demonstration being shown in the Emerging Technology booths was HeadSPIN: a 3D display for allowing a remote person to meet with a group of people. The device featured a spinning mirror in a cabinet, onto which are projected images of the remote person's face from different angles. With the correct timing, these projected images appear coherent, as a 3D viewable image of the person's head, as they talk and interact. This 3D effect is viewable by multiple people within a 180 degree viewing arc, without the need for special glasses.
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-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins |
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