We had the opportunity to attend SIGGRAPH 2011, Vancouver this past week and were really happy with what we saw. It takes a certain level of innovation to excite us at this stage of the game but the exhibitors this year definitely did not disappoint. The video above is a compilation of just some of the things we got to see in the Emerging Technologies section of the event.

Since it is not entirely clear what the functions of everything in the video is, I will do my best to explain each briefly in order here:
(please keep in mind that some of these names are not official)

Face-to-Avatar: A blimp that houses a projector, microphone, and camera for new age telepresence applications. It can display either a static image or a stream being sent to its on board wireless receiver.
Cyclone Display: A display that spins disks with different patterns on them. The speed of the disk, along with the speed that the projector is flickering at, determines what colors you will see. Essentially each disk is a sort of pixel.
ISCAN3D: A 3D scanner for your iPhone that works in a few minutes on just input from 5-30 pictures.
InteractiveTop: A twist on the game of tops with graphics and sounds galore. It tracks the collisions and features a magnetic controller for each top too.
Mommy Tummy: A strap on tummy that is used to simulate both the joys and stresses of pregnancy.
Recompose: Actuated Surface: A series of actuators that can be controlled using gestures as well as direct manipulation.
Vection Field: A device that can influence pedestrians to walk in a certain direction by displaying a certain dynamic pattern.
Toucheo: An immersive multi-touch workstation that can be used to easily manipulate 3D assets.
Telenoid: A telepresence robot that can transmit voice and facial movements and is neither male nor female, young nor old.
Virtual Crepe Maker: A haptic representation of fluid dynamics that has been made fun by the crepe making game.
True 3D Display: A 3D display that uses laser-plasma technology to output a virtual object with the amazing resolution of 50,000 points per second. (A part broke in transit and they only were able to operate it at half of its capability.
Thermal Interactive Media: A display that senses the temperature of its input and reacts accordingly.
PocoPoco: A new age musical interface and sequencer with 16 solenoids that are loaded with sensors.
HAPMAP: A sort of haptic navigation in which the user holds a device in their hand which simulates the feeling of sliding your hand along a railing. The “rail” is on a pivoting actuator so that it can steer the user in the right direction.

Abstract of “Encumbrance-free Telepresence System with Real-time 3D Capture and Display using Commodity Depth Cameras”

We introduce a proof-of-concept telepresence system that offers fully dynamic, real-time 3D scene capture and continuous-viewpoint, head-tracked stereo 3D display without requiring the user to wear any tracking or viewing apparatus. We present a complete software and hardware framework for implementing the system, which is based on an array of commodity Microsoft KinectTM color-plus-depth cameras. Novel contributions include an algorithm for merging data between multiple depth cameras and techniques for automatic color calibration and preserving stereo quality even with low rendering rates. Also presented is a solution to the problem of interference that occurs between Kinect cameras with overlapping views. Emphasis is placed on a fully GPU-accelerated data processing and rendering pipeline that can apply hole filling, smoothing, data merger, surface generation, and color correction at rates of up 100 million triangles/sec on a single PC and graphics board. Also presented is a Kinect-based markerless tracking system that combines 2D eye recognition with depth information to allow head-tracked stereo views to be rendered for a parallax barrier autostereoscopic display. Our system is affordable and reproducible, offering the opportunity to easily deliver 3D telepresence beyond the researcher’s lab.

For more information: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~maimone/KinectPaper/kinect.html

This video is copyrighted by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: www.cs.unc.edu

Projecting a head-up display onto your windshield is so passé; Autoglass reckons the future of digital driving is having augmented reality baked into the glass itself. The company has thrown together a video demo of what it believes the windshield of your car will be like in 2020, throwing in intelligent location-based services that can hunt down gas stations, flag up cyclists and pedestrians angling to get run over, and warn you when there’s a speed camera nearby.

There are also some reasonably distracting landmark indicators, along with links to the in-car entertainment system to let you know what music you’re listening to. It can even tell you the meal deals at the restaurants and pubs you’re passing.

With the advent of GPS navigation, paper maps are practically obsolete and people are slowly losing the skill of reading a map as they wait for their GPS to tell them to “make a right in 300 feet.” With how fast technology is advancing these days cars will drive themselves. Google certainly has made significant headway on developing a driverless car. Can you imagine transporting someone 50 years from the future 20 years into the past and handing them a map to navigate from point A to point B? The poor fella might as well give up as that skill would have been lost or never learned!

This video is copyrighted by Autoglass: www.autoglass.co.uk

A developer has figured out how to use the iPad 2′s front facing camera and display to create 3D images.
The app shown in the video below tracks the users head movement to display the images in such a way that they appear to pop out as you shift the iPad side to side.
We hope developers use this to make some cool apps soon. Check out the video to see the 3D iPad 2 in action:

[Via Mac Stories]
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-2-3d-display-2011-4#ixzz1K6b2cvrL

When you can capture 3D videos & photos and play them back at the palm of your hand without the need for glasses, you know the era of 3D is real this time around. Sprint and HTC recently unveiled the Evo 3D, successor to the Evo 4G. It packs dual core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon processor, 1GB Ram, dual 5 mega-pixel 3D cameras, and a 4.3 inch glasses free 3D display. This phone is the talk of the town while not only offering the ability to experience 3D on a mobile device without the need for glasses but its been reported the processing power beat everything else on the market according to benchmark tests . It will be the first device pre-loaded with a Blockbuster On Demand application with access to 3D movie titles.

Expect the phone to release sometime around summer and to get updates on the Evo 3D visits Sprint’s website.

Phone Features:

Dual core 1.2GHz processor
4.3” 3D qHD (540×960) sLCD display
4G WiMAX technology
Dual 5 megapixel main 3D cameras
Android 2.3 with latest HTC Sense
Front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera
DLNA and HDMI (MHL) video output
1730mAh Li-Ion battery
Dual microphones for noise suppression
Digital compass, G-Sensor, Light sensor, GPS/AGPS

Here is another conceptual video created by Corning Incorporated in “A day made of glass.” It goes through what would be your typical day scenario waking up at your beautiful luscious estate, by your wife with model good looks, as the photovoltaic glass reveals yet another perfect day in pleasantville. Followed by various interaction with every piece of glass you encounter throughout the day being touch sensitive, electronic enabled displays. This is a novel idea and as for as long as I can remember has been a common representation of the future where all surfaces are interactive. While the concept was focused around the future of glass, I would’ve loved to see some other future elements incorporated into the video like hovering cars that drive themselves, holographic communication, or omelet ready hybrid bell peppers with infused eggs substitute. How soon do you think this glass future will be a reality, and what future elements would you like to include?

Leave it to Microsoft Research to show off some cool stuff that may or may not actually happen on any thing you ever actually buy. Check out the video after the break to see the latest, Director of Microsoft Applied Sciences Steven “Stevie B” Bathiche showing off a variety of interesting interfaces. It all starts with gesture controls that take you well beyond the touchscreen, relying on a retro-reflective sash and a camera to detect hand position. But, things quickly progress to a flat lens called a wedge that can enable holographic-like imagery. Pair that with a Kinect and perspective shifts come into play, tracking your face to enable you to peer around like looking out a window. Check it out!

Follow us on Twitter: @immersivetechla

This video is copyrighted by Microsoft Research: microsoft.com

HUVR stands for heads up virtual reality system. An interesting take on an immersive interface, the HUVR system incorporates haptics, motion tracking, and a heads up virtual display in order to see and interact with objects in a virtual environment. In this application, Todd demonstrates being able to move and manipulate a virtual 3D model of an ancient artifact, extremely valuable, and extremely fragile.

Capacitive screens has now become a commodity for touch screen devices. Screen technology is now taking the next leap and the coming years imagination is the only thing stopping us. We will soon have dual screens, malleable screens, screens built into wifi connected mirrors, desks or backside of gadgets clothed with e-ink screens, tactile feedback, color screens with great contrast in sunlight, holographics/stereoscopic screens, color e-ink touch screens, or screens actually knowing where they are in relation to other screens thanks to ultrasonic emitters and microphones.

TAT wanted to show some of these things in an “experience video”, that shows a normal day in a couple of years when all these technologies are affordable enough to be used everywhere. This video is the result of our experiment with open innovation, read more about their experiments at their website.

For more news and videos on immersive technologies visit : www.immersivetech.org

Follow us on Twitter: @immersivetechla

This video is copyrighted by The Astonishing Tribe: tat.se