Augmented reality give a new way to interact with technology, and ambitious companies are clamoring to be firsts in the field. One of those concepts being developed by the software giant is called MirageTable. The system lets the user interact with objects in both the real and virtual worlds on a table top.

For instance; a person could set up a series of virtual bowling pins that could then be knocked over with a virtual ball with only using one pin as a real model to clone the others. The researchers developed MirageTable with the idea that two people could interact with each other in the same space without actually being with one another (think of it as being like Star Trek’s Holodeck). To do this, the researchers used an Acer H5360 3D stereoscopic projector (1280 X 720) to display objects, as well as the other person, onto a curved screen. A Kinect is positioned on top of the screen and captures the objects that are being projected and also tracks the eye movements of each corresponding user. This is to give the corresponding user the correct perspective of what’s in front of them. To view the objects in an augmented reality 3D environment each user wears a pair of Nvidia 3D shutter glasses which makes them appear spatially registered in conjunction with the real world. Any object can be scanned and then cloned for interaction by either of the two parties in both the real and virtual space.

Virtual Bowling (via Microsoft)

Free-hand interaction (because no trackers, gloves or other hardware was implemented) with virtual objects in MirageTable was done by using software that takes all real-world objects and represents them as proxy particles, which are constantly updated and used for collision geometry in the virtual world. To process all of the dynamic physics constantly being updated the team relied on Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 580 along with their PhysX game software. This gives each person the ability to interact with both environments at the same time. The researchers admit that there are still limitations to overcome as the Kinect (at present) can only capture the front of an object and not all sides which leaves ‘gaps’ that make for bad texturing. Another problem the team faces is users can only scoop or catch objects from below instead of grasping or picking them up but hope to improve on these limitations with further development. I for one am very impressed at what they have already accomplished with MirageTable. What will its full capabilities be in the future if only as a gaming platform?

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Three-dimensional video conferencing seems like something only found in sci-fi movies, but a research team from Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab has designed a life-sized working model made from a few readily available electronic components. The team, led by Professor Roel Vertegaal, designed the 3D video conferencing pod called ‘Telehuman’ around Microsoft’s Kinect sensor device.

The design uses an opaque acrylic cylinder that’s approximately 5.6 feet tall with a diameter of 29.5 inches mounted on a plywood platform as the Telehuman’s display screen. Six Kinect sensors are arranged in a circular fashion on top of the acrylic screen which is used to capture a person’s image from the front, back , and both sides to create a real-time 3D image at 30 fps. Located in the bottom of the screen’s base is a DepthQ projector (in conjunction with a Nvidia 3D Vision kit) that’s aimed upward toward a convex mirror which allows the projected image, at a resolution of 720p, of the other user to cover the entire screen.

The images captured from the Kindest sensors are sent to a series of PC’s (1 for every 2 Kindest sensors) to process the image data as well as distance and position relative to the screen and broadcasts the result over a gigabit LAN connection to the corresponding party in conference. The Telehuman is  based off of Human Media Lab’s BodiPod 3D imaging system that allows researchers a cut-away 3D view of the human body. However, unlike the Telehuman, the BodiPod has a gestural interface allowing users to manipulate images of human anatomy. An example being using a ‘peel’ gesture to remove an imaged layer of anatomy of what’s displayed on the screen while other gestures could be used to focus on the depth of the anatomical image with ‘proximity-based slicing’. Both systems share the same technological base and prove that 3D real-time imaging systems aren’t just an aspect of science fiction any longer.

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Concept and image of the junction (via The Imperial College London)

The common touch panel interfaces have a delay in response time, and it doesn't get better over time as the system gets burdened with software. The Imperial College London (ILC) and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are teaming up to solve this issue. They have come up with a new organic composite material made of a blend of two organic semiconductors to make up organic thin film transistors (OTFTs).

These scientists, along with the Center For Plastic Electronics, have combined the distinct useful qualities of polymer semiconductors with soluble small-molecule semiconductors to create a thin film. Small-molecule semiconductors are very effective, but they are difficult to manufacture into a thin film. Contrary, polymer semiconductors make thin films easily, but they do not have high charge carrier capabilities. The team found that creating a composite material with both materials resulted in a thin film with a charge carrier mobility that exceeds 5 cm²/V*s, which similar to the high mobility of a single crystal made of small-molecules semiconductors.

This film has a crystalline texture due to the small-molecule component and a remarkable flatness and smoothness atop the polycrystalline film. Both of these factors improve the performance of the materials response time and are crucial in top-gate, bottom-contact configuration devices.

Using methods like x-ray scattering, cross-sectional energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy in topographic and phase modes, researchers may be able to obtain OTFTs with higher mobilities.  Speaking about the future of OTFTs, Dr. Anthopoulos from the Imperial team said, "In principle, this simple blend approach could lead to the development of organic transistors with performing characteristics well beyond the current state-of-the-art."

Microsoft demonstrates the benefits of a faster response time in their "Path for the next 10 years" announcement. Follow the link to see more.

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Have you ever wanted to design your own robot but were unsure where to start? Fear-not friend, Microsoft has recently released a new iteration of its robot design software called ‘Robotics Developer Studio 4’. The software is centered heavily around the inclusion of Microsoft’s Kinect sensor for the home hobbyist’s robot designs. Included are SDK’s for both real and simulated Kinect sensors with support for all of its functions, the skeletal tracking feature, depth sensing, and microphone arrays.

RDS4 also takes advantage of Microsoft’s Visual Programming Language (VPL) that lets designers ‘drag and drop’ objects displayed in a virtual environment which then can be used to test your robot in any setting such as your virtual home and anywhere else you can think of. More advanced users can still program in C# through Visual Studio and Visual Studio Express. The software also incorporates Concurrency and Coordination Runtime (CCR), accessed through .NET Framework, in conjunction with a Decentralized Software Service (DSS) Manifest Editor (Decentralized Software Services web-based compiler) that makes writing robot applications much simpler. They want it to be easy.

With that in mind, Microsoft has also added tutorials for just about every aspect of RDS4 as well as sample code to help get you started in the world of robotics. With that said, Paralax Inc. has released a robotic hardware kit (for $1,249 US) based off of Microsoft’s ‘EDDIE’ robot design that takes advantage of RDS4 for those who are interested. Robotics Developer Studio 4 is available now for free and runs on Windows 7 and the upcoming Windows 8.

Parallax EDDIE

See more about robotic innovations in element14's Robotics Group.

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SoftKinetic is looking to change the way people interact with the digital world. They have recently unveiled a new depth sensor, 8 years in the making, that offers end-to-end 3D gesture recognition. It has no problem working in the dark or dim-light situations and works in confined areas better than its competition. Look at you, Microsoft Kinect. I originally saw this tech at CES 2012.

The sensor uses a patented time-of-flight(TOF) technology that can provide 3D distance data at up to 60 fps. The sensor seemed much more responsive that the Kinect, almost zero lag. It works by an infrared light, which is projected into a room, and the sensor measures the time period that it takes to return. It can precisely detect objects in the room and then process the distance data into a sharp 3D RGB image. In addition, the data include depth maps and grey-scale separation for software purposes. It can operate between a range of 1.5 to 4.5 meters and includes a dual microphone feature for audio input.

The technology will cost around $500 to buy a development kit for your own projects, but SoftKinetic is also looking to integrate these into new TVs and possibly laptops. However, they will have to size them down first before they could make the smooth transition into consumer technologies. At the moment, the SDK for the DepthSense system is available at their website, iisu SDK for Windows or Linux.

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An inevitability, but Microsoft said it first; 1ms response time touch interface. Microsoft Research (MSR) promotes the early form of what is to come over the next decade is a short teaser video. MSR Assistant Director Paul Dietz walks us through the video describing how a faster touch interface will be useful over current 100ms touch panels.

No exact word on how their "test setup" works. It is most likely not using capacitive or resistive techniques, that is likely why it is so fast. Different types of touch interfaces offer a wide variety of latencies on inputs. For example, the latest from Neonode uses light beam breaks to detect inputs. Neonode is boasting a 1,000 Hz delay, or 1ms. The future Microsoft is promoting may be closer than they think.

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Nokia 808 (via Nokia)

There have been some pretty compelling smartphones showcased at this year’s Mobile World Congress. However, the crown of ‘best new mobile handset’ went to Nokia and their 808 PureView smartphone. The phone houses a 41 megapixel sensor with a Carl Zeiss lens which is able to cram 7 pixels into 1 (using Nokia’s proprietary technology) that helps the phone take 1080p pictures and HD movies at 30 frames per second! The images taken can then be uploaded to the net instantly to GetMeRated, Vimeo or a host of other social sites using apps downloaded from Nokia.

The 808 uses a Xenon flash that can capture video and images in low-light which is a problem for current smartphones. Another feature in the PureView is the ability to record sound with ultra-low bass at up to 140 decibels. The recorded bass can only be played back in true Dolby Surround sound (provided you have headphones capable to do so). As for the phones display screen; it uses a 4 inch AMOLED screen with a nHD resolution of (16:9) 640 X 360 capable of displaying 16.7 million colors.

(41 megapixel brings professional medium format digital photography to the masses. Everyone gets to be Ansel Adams with this sensor.)

The 808 PureView comes with everything you’d expect from a top of the line smartphone in terms of connections, including USB 2.0 (why not 3.0?), HDMI and Bluetooth 3.0. It also comes equipped with a dedicated GPU with OpenGL 2.0 that is capable of playing 3D games. A dual-core 1.3Ghz processor, 512MB of ram, and 16GB storage fill out the rest of its specs. The launching OS is Symbian Belle, an all but outdated platform. Though, we are sure to see the 41 MP camera on future Windows Phone handsets. The Nokia 808 PureView is available now (unlocked) for $895.00 US but should be available soon for most major carriers in the coming weeks or months.

For those who want to know:

35mm film = 10-16 megapixels

Medium format film = 31-62 megapixels

Large format film = 149 megapixels to 1.15 gigapixels

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People sure love their pets. Some even go out of their way to comfort them when not at home, like hiring a sitter or taking them to a doggy day-spa. Others, like Microsoft engineer Jordan Correa, build interactive robots to keep tabs on them while away. Called Darwinbot (named after his dog Darwin), Jordan started the build using the iRobot Create, a cleaning robot at its heart. Now with version 2, Correa moved on to the Parallax Eddie platform, which used the 8-core Propeller microcontroller, Kinect sensor, and a hand full of additional features missing from the iRobot Create.

As a Microsoft employee, it is not surprising that the MS Robotics Developer Studio was used for the dog-interaction software. The robot is equipped with a ‘ball-launcher,’ that can hurl the ball about 15 feet, along with a Lynxmotion robotic arm that is used for ball retrieval. Included on the robot is a ‘hopper’ that dispenses treats on command (why Darwin simply doesn’t raid the dispenser is currently unknown). Housed on the front of the robot is an array of cameras that include a webcam that can pan and tilt along with a Kinect that’s used for obstacle detection and avoidance. Also included is a Slate PC that runs Skype, so Darwin can see and hear his master who controls the robot via an Xbox 360 controller.

It is assured that promoting Microsoft like this is the only way Correa can get away with a telepresence, play with his dog, session while on the clock. Will his dog love the robot more over time?

See more robots in the element14 Robotics Group.

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