Samsung Transparent OLED + Wedge Camera, Glassless 3D, Telepresence, Mid-air Interaction: Applying Science at Microsoft

The Microsoft Applied Sciences Group has been working on several projects that have the potential of changing how we interact with various displays and surfaces in the very near future.   Here's some what I came across my RSS feeds and Google Alerts this morning:

Microsoft Exploits Transparent OLED

INAVATE  July 5, 2010

According to an article in InAVate, "Microsoft has combined Samsung’s transparent OLED with a sub-two-inch camera to revolutionize the Microsoft Surface platform. The touchless telepresence screen creates a 3D gesture-control interface that tracks movement by seeing through the display. The company’s Applied Sciences Group has also added its recently revealed wedge shaped lens, that InAVate reported on last month, to deliver glasses-free 3D content...the latest breakthrough could revolutionize the Surface concept, taking touch away from the display and projecting the images in 3D.-InAVate 7/5/2010


3D Gesture Interaction

"In this demonstration, we've placed the Microsoft Applied Science's wedge technology behind Samsung's transparent OLED display. This enables a camera to image through the display, see the user's hand above it, and alter the image based upon her gestures." -Microsoft Applied Sciences Group

3D Without the Glasses: A new type of display from Microsoft produces multiple images and tracks the viewers eyes - Kate Greene, MIT Technology Review (6/11/2010)

According to an article in MIT's Technology Review, "the new lens, which is thinner at the bottom than at the top, steers light to a viewer's eyes by switching light-emitting diodes along its bottom edge on and off. Combined with a backlight, this makes it possible to show different images to different viewers, or to create a stereoscopic (3-D) effect by presenting different images to a person's left and right eye. "What's so special about this lens is that it allows us to control where the light goes," says Steven Bathiche, director of Microsoft's Applied Sciences Group." -Kate Greene, Technology Review

Steerable Multi-view Display

"In this demonstration, we use head tracking to determine where multiple users are. Then, with the Microsoft Applied Sciences' wedge technology, we steer completely independent images to each user. In the video, one user is seeing a sun while at the same time another is seeing a rocket. This is maintained even as the users change positions relative to each other." -Microsoft Applied Sciences Group

Transparent Display for Telepresence

"In this demonstration, we've placed the Microsoft Applied Science's wedge technology behind Samsung's transparent OLED display. This enables a camera to image directly through the display. In the video, objects held up to the screen are captured and shown to the user on the other side of the telepresence communication (the other monitor in the video), while far away from the screen, the display shows the user a view dependent image."-Microsoft Applied Sciences Group

Steerable 3D Auto Stereo Display

"In this demonstration, we use head tracking to determine where a user's eyes are. Then, with the Microsoft Applied Sciences' wedge technology, we steer different views of the scene to each eye to produce a 3D image without the need for glasses or for fixing the location of the user." -Microsoft Applied Sciences Group
Mid-air Interactive Display

"In this demonstration, we illuminate objects above the display with infrared light. We capture the reflection using the Microsoft Applied Sciences' wedge technology. This enables us to see above the display while keeping the form factor small. Seeing above the display allows us to track the interaction between direct contacts on the display. In the video, the user associates a function (color choice) with one hand and a different function (zoom/rotation) with the other hand. This tool persistence is maintained regardless of the relative positions of the hands." -Microsoft Applied Sciences Group

RELATED

Microsoft Applied Sciences Group Website

The Wedge: Seeing Smart Displays Through a New Lens

About Microsoft Applied Sciences Group

"The Applied Sciences Group (ASG) is an applied research and development team dedicated to createing the next generation of computer interaction technologies.  The interdisciplinary group focuses on the synergy between optics, electronics and software to create novel human computer interfaces.  The ASG is part of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. and mainly supports projects for Microsoft Hardware, XBox, and Microsoft Surface.  It also works closely with Microsoft Research."

2010 SID (Society for Information Display) International Symposium, Seminar, and Exhibition: Display Week

 I love interactive displays, and if I could, I'd attend the following conference:

2010 International Symposium, Seminar, and Exhibition
May 23 - May 28, 2010
Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA, USA

The SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, now in its 48th year, is the premier international gathering of scientists, engineers, manufacturers, and users in the electronic-display industry.

The event provides access to a wide range of technology and applications from high-definition flat-panel displays using both emissive and liquid-crystal technology to the latest in OLED displays, flexible displays, and large-area projection-display systems. This is where to find state-of-the-art information on image processing, systems software and display processor hardware, human factors and applied vision, and exciting new applications such as multimedia and the electronic cinema.

As the must-see event for the worldwide information-display industry, the SID International Symposium, Seminar, and Exhibition is host to hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees each year.

The hours of the 2010 exhibition are:

Tuesday, May 25 10:30 am - 6:30 pm
Wednesday, May 26 3 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday, May 27 4 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Key Dates
FAQ's

Courses offered during Display Week:

Times	2AB	3AB
Wednesday, May 26
8:30 - 10:00	A-1: Emerging Touch Applications Geoff Walker NextWindow	A-2: Flexible Display Technologies and Their Applications Ruiqing Ma Universal Display Corp.
10:30 - 12:00	A-3: Various Light Sources for General Lighting Sungkyoo Lim Dankook University	A-4: Mobile Multimedia Displays Jyrki Kimmel Nokia Research Center
3:30 - 5:00	A-5: Introduction to PicoProjectors Ian Underwood University of Edinburgh	A-6: Image Sources for Near-to-Eye Display Applications James Melzer

3D In-Home Cinema:
"A special 3-D Cinema Event will be held on Tuesday, May 25, from 7:30 to 10:00 pm. 3-D film shorts will be exhibited stereoscopically on a special 30-ft. silver screen, with featured talks by 3-D filmmakers and other members of the rapidly growing industry. Attendance at this session is free for anyone that is registered for the Tuesday-Friday Symposium. The fee for attending only this session is $100 ($15 for full-time Students or Life Members). The fee includes refreshments, plus access to both the Symposium Keynote Session on Tuesday morning and the Exhibit Hall, enabling 3-D film enthusiasts to see the cutting edge in display technology that is bringing 3-D into the home."


I'd like to highlight the people who will receive awards and honors during the conference:

Awards & Honors

EACH YEAR, the Society for Information Display (SID) honors individual scientists and researchers for outstanding achievements in the field of electronic information displays and for outstanding service to the Society. Only a small number of the preeminent members of the industry are nominated and fewer still are finally chosen as recipients. This year's winners will be honored during Display Week 2010 at the annual awards banquet to be held on Monday evening, May 24, prior to the Symposium.

	Name: Dwight Berreman Award: Jan Rajchman Citation: For his many contributions to understanding electro-optic effects in liquid crystals and especially for his pioneering work on developing the 4 x 4 matrix method for simulating and optimizing the electro-optical properties of LCDs.
	Name: Philip Bos Award: Slottow Owaki Prize Citation: For his pioneering educational efforts in the field of LCDs, including the development of curriculum and student research topics for the latest LCD-technology innovations for high-speed response, bistable operation, the design of wide-viewing-angle films, and diffractive devices.
	Name: Frederic Kahn Award: Karl Ferdinand Braun Citation: For outstanding innovative contributions to the development and commercialization of flat-panel LCDs and projection systems.
	Name: Makoto Maeda Award: Lewis and Beatrice Winner Citation: For his exceptional and sustained service to the Society for Information Display, especially his outstanding leadership as Chapter Chairman, Director, and Regional Vice-President, all of which contributed significantly to the growth of the Japan Chapter.
	Name: Eli Peli Award: Otto Schade Prize Citation: For his many outstanding contributions to vision science and their application to image-quality evaluation and enhancement, including pioneering efforts in improving display performance for populations with special visual needs.
	Name: Wei Chen Award: Fellow Citation: For his many contributions to the advancement of liquid-crystal displays, including the pioneering development and commercialization of high-performance LCD computer monitors, multi-touch displays, and computer displays with LED backlights.
	Name: Edward Kelley Award: Fellow Citation: For his outstanding leadership in the theory, methods, and technology of display metrology and his many contributions to international flat-panel-display standards.
	Name: Haruhiko Okumura Award: Fellow Citation: For his outstanding contribution to the research and development of TFT-LCD driving technologies, especially overdrive and low-power technologies and for significant contributions to the advancement of the display community.
	Name: Roger Stewart Award: Fellow Citation: For his many contributions to display science and technology, including the first amorphous-silicon TFT-LCDs with integrated scanners ("SASID"), the first single-crystal silicon active-matrix EL displays, polysilicon AMLCDs, and compensation circuits for AMOLEDs, and for his creativity in TFT-LCD design.
	Name: Andrew Watson Award: Fellow Citation: For his outstanding contributions to both basic and applied vision science, including applications to image quality metrics, image compression, and psychophysically based display measurements.
	Name: Joyce Farrell Award: Special Recognition Award Citation: For her outstanding contributions to the human factors of imaging systems and technology, including the development of the first successful quantitative metric for display flicker and for her exceptional service to the Society for Information Display.
	Name: Hiroki Hamada Award: Special Recognition Award Citation: For his outstanding contributions to the development of display devices including red laser diodes and polysilicon TFT-LCD light-valves for projectors.
	Name: Michio Kitamura Award: Special Recognition Award Citation: For leading technical and entrepreneurial contributions in putting simulation techniques to practical use as a standard tool for designing LCDs.
	Name: James Larimer Award: Special Recognition Award Citation: For his many contributions to vision science related to displays and image quality, including the development of display-performance algorithms.
	Name: Ryuichi Murai Award: Special Recognition Award Citation: For his leading contributions to the research and development of large-sized plasma displays, especially his commercialization of the 103-in.-diagonal PDP.
Special Recognition Award Citation: For the technical and commercial development of high-dynamic-range displays and the pioneering of local-dimming display technology. Names: Helge Seetzen, Gregory Ward, Lorne Whitehead
	Helge Seetzen
	Gregory Ward
	Lorne Whitehead
Special Recognition Award Citation: For their outstanding contribution to the development and commercialization of super-large-area film-type display, utilizing technology that incorporates an array of plasma tubes. Names: Kenji Awamoto, Manabu Ishimoto, Tsutae Shinoda
	Kenji Awamoto
	Manabu Ishimoto
	Tsutae Shinoda

NOTE:

I sometimes use this blog as a resource for supporting career education activities for high school students.  By sharing information about the people behind various technologies, I hope to inspire young people to consider careers in STEM-related fields. (STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.)

Interactive Light and Dance Installations using Flexible OLED's: You Fade to Light

Dance and Interactive Light Installation: You Fade to Light/ edit 1 (rAndom International, Kristin Knappstein, Royal Philips Electronic' Luminblade team)

You Fade To Light / edit 1 from rAndom International on Vimeo.

"Lumiblade OLED's are large area diffuse light sources made from extremely thin glass and feature a perfect mirror finish. OLED's are very close to the quality of natural light."

Installation and Art Direction by rAndom International
Choreography: Laïla Diallo in collaboration with Khamlane Halsackda
Performance: Laïla Diallo and Khamlane Halsackda
Film Production and Director of Photography: Mark Purnell at Hogarth Worldwide
Related versions can be found on the rAndom International Vimeo site.
Photos of the making of You Fade to Light


Chris O'Shea created the software for You Fade to Light using C++, openFrameworks, and openCV.  There was a hidden camera embedded in the installation that generated video for the software to process and also generate video files as output. The hardware drivers were created by rAndom International and through the software, controlled the brightness of each OLED.

Chris is the author of the Pixelsumo blog, and also is behind This Happened, a "series of events focusing on the stories behind interaction design",  with the purpose of encouraging interaction designers to become more open in their methods and ideas. 

For more information about interactive OLED, read the NY Time's article:

Panels of Light Fascinate Designers
Eric A. Taub, New York Times, 9/6/09


Thanks to Celine Latulipe for the link to the NY Times article!