In the 80’s, the idea of “virtual reality” was all the rage. Virtual reality was supposed to be a simulated version of the real world, or an imaginary one, which one could experience as if it were reality. With an innovative combination of existing technologies, Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry have created a way to project your computer onto reality. Here we have the ultimate portable computer, and an interesting look at an extreme direction technology could be going. Every day the internet and personal computers are getting more ingrained in our day to day lives. The ubiquity of smart-phones and the emergence of ultra-portable laptops is only the beginning.
Description:This demo — from Pattie Maes’ lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry — was the buzz of TED. It’s a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine “Minority Report” and then some.