RSSMicrosoft Licenses Next-Gen 3D Tech
By Ed Oswald | Published July 19, 2006, 3:17 PM
Microsoft has licensed its interactive display technology code-named "TouchLight" to EON Reality, a visual content-management software provider. The deal will allow EON to create interactive marketing displays, product demonstrations and training environments, and bring 3D displays to desktops in 2 to 3 years.
Additionally, the technology would be integrated into preexisting product lines for the commercial, automotive, aerospace and defense industries.
The result is an interface much like what is seen in the movie "Minority Report," where the user can interact with the translucent acrylic plastic screen and use gestures to manipulate content on it. This image is produce by two video cameras whose images are combined on the screen.
EON gained the rights to TouchLight technology through Microsoft's IP Ventures program, an effort launched by the Redmond company in May of last year. The initiative licenses out twenty different technologies including artificial intelligence, usability, graphics, security, gaming, multimedia and databases.
Microsoft will also invest in EON as part of the program, so that both companies can benefit from future work in the field. While Microsoft would contribute the intellectual property and research needed, it is up to the small business or startup to create a viable product for market.
"We've worked with EON Reality to turn a cutting-edge prototype from our research lab into a marketable product, which is the purpose of the IP Ventures program," Microsoft's corporate vice president of research Daniel Ling said.
EON is not the first company to participate in the program. Other companies licensing IP from Microsoft include Ireland, the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development, Inrix, Skinkers, Softedge-Systems, Vimio plc and social networking company Wallop.
"We are excited to be the first company to offer this kind of virtual interactivity, invented by Microsoft," EON executive vice president Sean O'Brien said. "Microsoft's willingness to share its innovation with our company helps enable our mutual success in this segment of the market."
I thought I'd seen this before ...
http://mrl.nyu.edu/~jhan/ftirtouch/
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How about getting voice recognition a little quicker, please? That will be more productive than 3-d. For chrissakes we're still using a modified typewriter for input!
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vvvvery good point you make, about both 3d and the typewriter. it's plain innecesary for the absolute majority of purposes.
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I've been using voice recognition for several years.
This was dictated into Firefox browser using Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
Not only will Dragon NaturallySpeaking type what I say, but it will also give me (almost) the same function as using the keyboard and/or the mouse.
"keyboard -- how quaint!"
:-)
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Oops, I'm having a bad sore throat right now...
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to add a fun fact. The origonal typewriter layout was designed to slow down typing because back then typing too fast would jam up the thing. But now were stuck with it and switching to a more logical layout like dvorak is a hurdle if you're too used to qwerty. Would be great if we can just plug in directly like ghost in the shell or the matrix.
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What? You have to pay for it? Don't you know everything's supposed to be free? Sheesh.
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