May 5, 2007 11:00 AM PDT
Making 'Minority Report' computer navigation a reality
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Future PlayStations to read hand gestures
December 1, 2003
One man is on a mission to bring that gestural interface technology to every personal computer.
"The mouse has had a good run, but it's time to say good-bye," Underkoffler said.
His company has an operating system, based on human hand gesturing, that enables the user to explore in a 3D plane. The system responds to the pitch, roll and yaw movements that come naturally to the hand and works with cameras that track the positions of targets placed on gloves.
"We really want to get this on every desktop, and that's what we are going to focus on doing until we either go out of business or (until) the next plane trip you take, the woman sitting next to you opens up her laptop and starts doing this," said Underkoffler, gesturing with his hands.
Underkoffler was inspired by his work as the science and technology adviser to Steven Spielberg for the film Minority Report. The team created the futuristic Washington headquarters portrayed in the film. When it came to the gestural interface, the production team's research and development came just shy of actually building it, according to Underkoffler.
"What had started in an academic environment passed through the Hollywood environment and back. Which means it's just like the movie, but it really works--which is really better," he said.
Famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor
"Of everyone I know, John has the most profound understanding of how imaginative projectionism of the future in film affects real-life expectations of the future," Mitchell said as he introduced the Oblong founder, who received his Ph.D. from
"Sometimes the filmmakers--the science fiction writers--imagine stuff before the engineers do, and there is a feedback loop between fiction and science that seems to be influencing each other," Underkoffler said.
Oblong could create applications for air traffic control or for groups
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mouse
good-bye' said Underkoffler. "
Really? Not quite yet if your new system still requires one to put
on a glove every-time they want to pop over to the computer to
check their email.
And forget about anything that would require you to hold up
your arm for extended periods of time. How many minutes can
you hold your hand in front of a screen? Maybe with your elbow
on the desktop? Try that for 8 hours.
I'm sure his system could eventually evolve into something
practical someday, but the way it's described in the article it's
hardly ready to be replacing the mouse.
If you use your hand, you have to move the full length and your arm is extended. I can see this as being something useful on 100" panels in the future for home entertainment or business applications but this will definitely not _replace_ the mouse because it doesn't need to be replaced.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it - right?
I like the idea and I would love to play with it but please don't take my mouse from me
You don't go from helicopters to anti-gravity, it just doesn't work like that...
Think of the mouse...
1) 1 button w/ ball
2) 2 button w/ ball
3) 3 button w/ ball
4) 2 button + scroll w/ ball
5) 2 button + scroll w/ optical
6) optical 'button' w/ optical
Meaning: My guess is soon we are going to have a little optical sensor on top of the mouse that can register finger movements...
I will not wear a glove...
1. GestureTek
2. Ubiq Window
Google for both. Claiming to be the inventor of a technology that has already been out there for a while is shameful. CNET editor, please consider editing the story to leave out bits that proclaim that this is an invention of this team.
Just develop an LCD/flat panel for touch screen apps and people could use fingers to point and click directly on the screen. This could be used in cojunction with the keyboard for data entry.
I know the screens will get icky and dirty (just don't eat cheetos when you need to use the pc)-lol.