Interactive Multimedia Technology: Search results for kinect

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May 31, 2011

Apr 26, 2011

Multi-touch and Gesture Interaction News and Updates You Might Have Missed (Part I)

Over the past couple of months, I've come across many interesting links related to multi-touch and gesture interaction, but I haven't had time to devote a thoughtful post to each one. "Part I", is a nice collection of experimental, commercial, and non-commercial efforts by a variety of creative technologists, with a smattering of industry news that might be of interest to IMT readers.

Ideum's MT55 HD Multitouch Table 4/19/11

New MT55 HD Multitouch Table Now Shipping, Jim Spadaccini, Ideum Blog 4/11/11

Smithsonian American Art Museum to Open Education Center Sara Beladi, NBC Washington News, 4/4/11 (Rumor has it that the Smithsonian American Art might include touch and multi-touch displays in it's plans for a new education center. The center was funded by an anonymous $8 million dollar gift.)

Some Milestones in Computer Input Devices: An Informal Timeline

Bill Buxton, Microsoft Research, 4/7/11 - Includes lots of pictures, links to videos, and more information of what might be the first touch-screen. Also see Bill Buxton's companion website, Multi-Touch Systems that I have Known and Loved, updated on 3/21/11. Bill Buxton knows all (almost!)

How to make a Multitouch Biggie (Seth Sandler)

"The MTbiggie uses the "Front Diffused Illumination" multitouch technique, with ambient infrared light and a DIY infrared webcam. The MTbiggie is similar to the MTmini, but includes a projected image and infrared webcam (rather than a normal webcam)...The MTbiggie isn’t the most stable and robust setup, but it is the easiest to build. To see other methods of building more stable multitouch displays, view the full multitouch display list." -Seth Sandler

(Also check out NodeBeat, a multi-touch music/audio sequencer/generator app by Seth Sandler and Justin Windle)

IntuiLab announces support for Microsoft Kinect interactive software solutions

Intuilab, 4/13/11

"IntuiLab, a global leader in surface computing software applications, today announced support for the revolutionary Microsoft Kinect device across its full line of IntuiFace products and solutions including IntuiFace Presentation and IntuiFace Commerce...Microsoft Kinect brings distant gesture control to interactive solutions. These gesture controls allow users to interact with displayed digital assets from a distance at their own pace and path – for example, browsing through a large quantity of products in a store catalog or manipulating 3D models (such as a mobile phone) – all without having to actually touch the screen..." -IntuiLab (Take a look at the IntuiLab team- an interactive page!)

EON Reality Launches EON Interact - Interact with 3D Data by Using Your Bare Hands Animation xPress, 3/31/11

Sparkon: Videos and links related to multi-touch and gesture-based applications

Official Kinect SDK to be Open Source, Josh Blake, Deconstructing the NUI, 4/18/11

9 This bit of news excited me, but don't get your hopes up. If anyone knows what will happen with the Kinect SDK, please leave a comment.)

"Update 4/18 7:34pm: Mary Jo Foley picks up this story, but the Microsoft spokesperson she talked to denied that the Kinect SDK will be open source. As she notes, Microsoft has pulled 180’s before regarding Kinect. After spokespeople initially were hostile to the idea of Kinect hacking, Xbox executives later embraced the idea that people are using Kinect for non-gaming purposes on the PC. Let’s hope Microsoft stays open to this idea." -Josh Blake

New Channel 9 Video: Josh Blake on NaturalShow Multi-touch in WPF, Pete Brown, 10rem.net, 4/22/11

Eden: A Professional Multitouch Tool for Constructing Virtual Environments (pdf)

Kenrick Kin, Tom Miller, Bjoern Bollensdorff, Tony DeRose, Bjoern Hartmann, Manees Agrawala (Pixar Online Library)

Flight Race Game on 3DFeel lm3Labs, 4/18/11

JazzMutant Lemure Version 2 : "The only multi-touch and modular controller for sequencers, synthesizers, virtual instruments, vjing and lights, now even better."

Harry van der Veen's Multitouch Blog (NUITEQ)

Stantum "Unlimited Multi-Touch" Latest News

At Immersive Labs, Ads Watch Who Looks at Them Amy Lee, Huffington Post, 4/26/11

Immersive Labs

Hard Rock Cafe International Using NextWindow Touch Screens: "Rock Wall Solo displays enhance music lovers' experience in Seattle, Dallas, Detroit and Berlin" 4/12/11 (Full press release pdf)
Music on Touch Screens (NextWindow)

Razorfish: Thoughts on MIX 11 ,James Ashley, Razorfish Blog, 4/20/11 Also see: Razorfish Lab's Prototypes

"The multitouch microscope brings new dimensions into teaching and research. Researchers at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) and Multitouch Ltd have created a hand and finger gesture controlled microscope. The method is a combination between two technologies: web-based virtual microscopy and a giant size multitouch display."
"The result is an entirely new way of performing microscopy: by touching a table- or wall-sized screen the user can navigate and zoom within a microscope sample in the same way as in a conventional microscope. Using the touch control it is possible to move from the natural size of the sample to a 1000-fold magnification, at which cells and even subcellular details can be seen." -Multitouchfi Also see the Multitouch website.

Big Size Multitouch Display Turned into a Microscope, Microscopy-News, 3/28/11

Mac OX 10.7 Lion: new multi-touch gestures, Dock integration for Expose, Launchpad, Mission Control Appleinsider, 4/14/11

Vectorform App featured in Royal Caribbean's Video Promotion: James Brolin, Dean Cain get hands-on with Vectorform app Alison Weber, Vectorform Blog, 3/3/11

3M Touch Systems's YouTube Channel

Social Mirror 3D Gestural Display, Now Using Kinnect: SnibbeInteractive

Apr 10, 2011

Immersive Cocoon Interaction: "It's people who are now the interface" (Updated, with videos, photos, links.)

"It's people who are now the interface." -Ole Bowman, cultural and architectural historian

I found the above quote from the Immersive Cocoon website and smiled.

When I first learned about the Immersive Cocoon in 2008, I thought it was just another technological fancy that probably would not come to market anytime soon. Although it still is in the concept stage, I think it has a chance of making it, given the rapid advances in interactive technology over the past few years.

It wouldn't surprise me to see i-Cocoons finding a place in libraries, educational settings, museums, and other public spaces within the next 5-8 years, given an economic turnaround.

What is the Immersive Cocoon?
"The Immersive Cocoon is a future concept study by Tino Schaedler with design collective NAU; an idea to push the envelope and provoke a new conception of interface technology...Directed and 3D CG by Oliver Zeller. More info, behind the scenes and full credits at i-cocoon.com." -adNAU"

What is inside the cocoon?

Photo: arch.nau.coop

Photo: arch.nau.coop
Teaser Video:

Immersive Cocoon "2011" | 1080HD from adNAU on Vimeo.

"Please play fullscreen and LOUD! ...This spec teaser reveals an evolution in computing interaction, within a setting inspired by the penultimate scene from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey...Starring that film's lead actor, Keir Dullea; "2011" was developed over a two year period. Live action was filmed multi-camera, against green screen atop a backlit plexi floor on a shoestring budget. Mr. Dullea was then integrated into an entirely digitally created CG set rendered at 1080HD."

Here are some previous videos about the iCocoon concept:

RELATED
Immersive Cocoon Concept Website
Designers developing virtual-reality 'Cocoon'
Mark Tutton, 9/12/08, Telepresence Options /Human Productivity Lab
Immersive Cocoon-Facebook
"NAU is an international, multidisciplinary design firm, spanning the spectrum from architecture and interior design to exhibitions and interactive interfaces. As futurists creating both visual design and constructed projects, NAU melds the precision of experienced builders with the imagination and attention to detail required to create innovative exhibits, public events and architecture."
FYI:
Concerning interactive technology, things have changed a bit in my corner of the world - as I write this post, there is a Kinect beckoning me to dance in my bonus room. The Kinect was something that came to market much sooner than I expected. I'll have an iPad2 sometime in the near future- another example of how rapidly things are evolving. I skim the news by touch/swiping my now-outdated HTC Incredible. My 88-year-old aunt, has used Skype more than once to "chat" with her baby great-nephew across the miles.

I use a Wii at work at least once a week to support social interaction skills with some students who have moderate-to-severe autism. Every classroom in the main school I serve has a huge, immersive, interactive whiteboard that relies on touch and kinesthetic interaction-my colleagues can't imagine going back to teaching without them.

Apr 9, 2011

"Playful Interface Cultures" exhibit video showreel, just released (Ars Electronica Festival 2010)

Playful Interface Cultures from Interface Culture on Vimeo.

"This video showreel provides a walkthrough through the "Playful Interface Cultures" exhibition at the Ars Electronica Festival 2010. The works shown were created within the Master and Ph.D. program at the Interface Culture Lab, University of Art and Industrial Design in Linz, Austria." http://www.interface.ufg.ac.at/

"The exhibition design has been based on traditional Austrian tobacco brands in reference to the historic venue of the former tobacco factory built by the German designer and architect Peter Behrens." -Interface Culture Lab

Instructors:
Georg Russegger
Martin Kaltenbrunner
Michaela Ortner
Varvara Guljajeva
Design
Vesela Milhaylova
Henning Schulze
Production
Reinhard Gupfinger
Technical Support
Mar Canet
Anika Hirt

University of Art and Industrial Design, Linz

SOMEWHAT RELATED
TuioKinect, by Martin Kaltenbrunner: "A simple Tuio hand gesture tracker for Kinect"
Reactable

Apr 6, 2011

mtBAR Multi-touch Bar Video (Aaron Bitler); Physical Vision, a Kinect Alternative Video (Jonathan Brill); DARPA's 3D Glassless Urban Photonic Sandtray

Here are a few interesting videos and links:

The mtBAR Comes Alive!
Aaron Bitler, 3/28/11

Physical Vision, The Alternative to Kinect
Jonathan Brill, Physical Vision, 2/26/11

DARPA's Urban Photonic Sandtray enables 3D battlefield planning without glasses

Tim Stevens, 3/28/11, Engadget

"It's a DARPA project, a fully holographic table (no glasses required) that can be scaled up to six feet diagonally and allows visual depth of up to 12-inches. The technology comes courtesy of Zebra Imaging, which earlier wowed us with some insane 3D printouts, and the data will come from LIDAR systems like this ROAMS bot." -Tim Stevens

-Photo from Vizworld

Weekly Belated Linkfest
Rouli, Games Alfresco, 4/4/11

So much to share, so little time!

Apr 5, 2011

ICT MxR Lab's Response to Google's "April Fools Day" Gmail Motion, using OpenNI and FAAST

I recently purchased a Kinect and have been chomping at the bit to do something creative with it. I have been too busy with work to dive into a project. Fortunately, great minds have been paving the way!

I was almost fooled by Google's April Fools prank, "Gmail Motion", a mythical application designed to allow Gmailers the opportunity to conduct email tasks through gestures alone.

Robert Kosara, an assistant professor of computer science at UNC-Charlotte, and author of the EagerEyes visualization blog, recently shared a link to a video of a working prototype of the Gmail Motion concept. The video features Evan Suma, a post-doc at USC who earned his Ph.D. at UNC-Charlotte.

"This morning, Google introduced Gmail Motion, allowing users to control Gmail using gestures and body movement. However, for whatever reason, their application doesn't appear to work. So, we demonstrate our solution - the Software Library Optimizing Obligatory Waving (SLOOW) - and show how it can be used with a Microsoft Kinect sensor to control Gmail using the gestures described by Google. This project uses OpenNI coupled with FAAST and was made by Evan Suma and the folks at Mark Bolas' MxR Lab at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies."

Below is the video that almost had me fooled on April 1st : )
>

RELATED
FAAST Video Gallery
Download FAAST from the USC ICT FAAST website.
University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies (USC ICT)

The FAAST website has loads of additional "how-to" information. The list below is just a sample of what can be found on the site:

To use FAAST, you will need to download and install the following software:

OpenNI Unstable Build for Windows v1.0.0.25
PrimeSense NITE Unstable Build for Windows v1.3.0.18
During NITE installation, enter the free license key from OpenNI: 0KOIk2JeIBYClPWVnMoRKn5cdY4=
Hardware drivers for your sensor (only one of the following)
- Microsoft Kinect: SensorKinect Module – download Win32 installer from Bin folder
- PrimeSensor: PrimeSensor Module – this does NOT work with the Kinect

FAAST should then run out-of-the-box; no additional installation or setup is necessary. If you encounter an error on startup, you may also need to install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package.

FAAST project members are Evan A. Suma, Belinda Lange, Skip Rizzo, David Krum, and Mark Bolas

Mar 7, 2011

Monday Musing and Meanderings: Interesting videos and links about emerging technologies.

INTERACTIVE TANGIBLE TABLETOP MUSIC

Reactable Live! SubMixPro Studio Torino

The Reactable featured in the above video is used for DJ-ing in clubs. The one I've played with is at the science museum in my area - I love it. It is fun to improvise on the Reactable with another person. For more information, see my previous blog posts featuring the Reactable.

AUGMENTED REALITY
While listening to CNBC on my satellite radio on the way home today, I heard that investing in Qualcomm might be a good idea. I wonder if this means that Wall Street analysts think that AR will become mainstream soon...

The video below shows a variety of creative AR game applications:

Qualcomm has an AR SDK that comes with tutorials, samples, an API reference, and developer forums. The SDK can be downloaded from the Qualcomm AR web-page.

For more information:

GDC 11: AR- The Augmented Future of Mobile Serious Games? Eliane Alhadeff, Serious Games Market, 3/7/11

Qualcomm Augmented Reality Research

Qualcomm Extends Augmented Reality with Unity Technologies

Qualcomm's secret mobile weapon: Augmented Reality Robert Enderle, TG Daily, 2/24/11

This sort of technology has been around for a while. For an example, take a look at the 2007 MScape game demo of the AR game, Roku's Reward:

THE KINECT FOR MEDICAL DATA VISUALIZATION

Here is another use of augmented reality, but this time, harnessing the Kinect:

Magic Mirror for Medical Data Visualization using Kinect

Madhav K. , Kinecthacks

Public Presentation of mirracle

PHOTOELASTIC TOUCH

Transparent Rubbery Interface using a LCD and Photoelasticity
Toshiki Sato, Haruko Mamiya, Taro Tokui, Hideki Koike, The Unversity of Electro-Communications; Kentaro Fukuchi, Japan Science and Technology Agency
Abstract (pdf)

ART AND SCREENS

Nomad capacitive brush turns your iPhone into an art canvas for $24.00
Darren Murph, Engadget, 2/22/11

Nomad Brush for the iPad from Don Lee on Vimeo.

Mar 2, 2011

Video: Kinect at the Supermarket - Supporting "Sales Conversations" Using Pointing Gestures - a prototype

Supporting Sales Conversation Using Pointing Gestures via Johannes Schoening:

Innovative Retail Lab in cooperation with Bizerba

Feb 26, 2011

Why bother switching from GUI to NUI? - Asked and Answered by Josh Blake; My 2-cents; Stevie B’s Microsoft Research Video; Marco Silva’s NUI-HCI Presentation (and links)

In Chapter 1 of Natural User Interfaces in .NET, Josh Blake asks and answers a question posed by many people who have been under the spell of keyboard input and GUI/ WIMP interaction:

Why bother switching from GUI to NUI? The answer? Read Chapter 1 (pdf) of the book - the chapter is free.

Here are a few of my personal reasons:
1. I want to buy the next version of the iPad or something like it.
2. I want to buy a new large-screen Internet HD TV.

3. I want to buy a Kinect.

4. I do NOT want to interact with my new TV with a Sony remote. Too many tiny buttons!

5. I do NOT want to interact with my new TV with a keyboard, because it reminds me of...work.

6. Most importantly:

I want to design apps for the people I care about, and others with similar needs:

My mom.

My grandson.

Moms and dads with kids in tow.
People with special needs and/or health concerns, and the people who care and guide them.
Knowledge sharers and (life-long) learners....

RELATED

"Smart" Interactive Display Research

How Natural User Interfaces are changing Human Computer Interaction

View more presentations from Marco Silva

My YouTube Playlist:

Post-WIMP Explorers' Club Videos

"Natural user interfaces, gesture interaction, multi-touch, natural interaction, post WIMP examples and more... "

Interactive Multimedia Technology Post:
Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It": Revisited

RELATED - and somewhat related

UX Matters "Why don't usability problems get fixed"

Encyclopedia: Human Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, User Experience, Information Architecture, Usability and More (Interaction-Design.org)

Josh Blake's Blog: Deconstructing the NUI Book: Chapter 1 (pdf) Free!
Blake.NUI

"Blake.NUI is a collection of helpful controls, utilities, and samples useful for multi-touch and NUI development with WPF, Surface, and Silverlight."

OpenKinect Wiki

OpenKinect Community Founder Joshua Blake Comes Up With His Own Version of Win 7 Multitouch on Kinect (Madhav K, KinectHacks 1/14/11)

Kinect SDK Could Open New Worlds for Motion-Controlled Interfaces (Mike Martin, TechNews World, 2/22/11)

Seth Sandler

Seth Sandler's Blog

Seth Sandler's Ultimate List of Interactive Tables

Dan Saffer

Bill Buxton

Johnny Chung Lee's Procrastineering Blog
Adam Greenfield's Speedbird Blog

(This is not an inclusive list.)

GUI to NUI Post-WIMP Manifesto: TBA

Feb 24, 2011

Today I hooked up a Wii to the IWB in the school's therapy room. Next - a Kinect?! (Angels are welcome to help us expand the school's "games" programs for students with special needs)

Today, I hooked up our school's Wii to the newly-installed IWB in the therapy room for the first time, and used it during a session for for a social-skills activity with two students who have autism spectrum disorders. The students helped each other to create their own "Mii" avatars. I had them play the bowling game, and was impressed how this activity elicited social conversation between the students, with minimal effort on my part.

Most of students in the program at Wolfe are in grades 6-12. They have cognitive, language, and motor delays. A good number of the students also have autism spectrum disorders. Some have multiple special needs.

We have found that when our students are provided with interactive activities displayed on the large screen of an IWB, they tend to increase their level of attention to their peers and also communicate more with one-another, as well as with the teachers and staff.

By using an IWB for games at school, we are extending the reach of how this technology can be used with students who have more complex special needs. By providing a means for our students to learn to play positive games, we help them develop important physical, social, and leisure skills that they can use outside the school setting with non-disabled peers and siblings. My hunch is that the games will also help promote cognitive/problem solving skills, too.

NOTE:
The funds to purchase the Wii were donated to our school, but did not cover additional games or accessories. We'd like to purchase Rock Band and Wii Fit. We'd also like to expand our program and purchase an Xbox with a Kinect. An iPad or two would be OK, too : )

If there are any angels out there who'd like to donate funds for our "games" program at Wolfe, please contact me through my Google profile. I will connect you with the appropriate person.

Game designer/developers/researchers/students:
If you are interested in volunteering your efforts to work on a basic cooperative, pro-social game for the Kinect, SMARTTable, or interactive whiteboard, please contact me.

Feb 20, 2011

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Is Changing the World: BLUR Conference, February 22-23, Omni Orlando Resort (Includes video)

Blur Conference

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 8:00 AM - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 5:00 PM (ET) Omni Orlando Resort, 1500 Masters Blvd.

ChampionsGate, Florida 33896 Phone: (407) 390-6664

ABOUT BLUR

(from the conference website)

"It’s easy to forget that the computer mouse is over 45 years old."

"What’s not as easy to forget is that we’re now collectively getting used to interacting with computers via means and interfaces that have moved way beyond the keyboard and the mouse — the iPhone and Wii being the most prominent examples."

"The truth is that we stand on the verge of a major revolution in the models of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). A revolution that will fly right past academic and into a world of retail, medical, gaming, military, public event, sporting, personal and marketing applications."

"From multi-touch to motion capture to spatial operating environments, over the next 10 years, everything we know about HCI will change."

"Blur is the only conference that is exploring the line of interaction between computers and humans in a substantive, real-world and hands-on way."

"At Blur, vendors, strategists, buyers and visionaries assemble to not only discuss the larger issues of HCI, but also to lay their hands on the latest in HCI technology. Blur is the only forum for a focused, hands-on exploration of the varied technologies evolving in the HCI."

"Come play, investigate, learn and apply at Blur — where we’re changing how you interact with computers forever." -Blur

BLUR Conference Agenda
(Note: I added the links to conference participants and/or their organizations. Feel free to leave a comment if you know of any corrections or better links!)
Keynotes:

Neuroergonomics: How an Understanding of the Brain is Changing the Practice of Human Factors Engineering - Dr. Kay Stanney, Design Interactive

On Social Robotics - Dr. Cynthia Breazeal, Personal Robotics Group, MIT

When Computers Feel: Understanding Human Emotional Measurement - Hans Lee, EmSense

A Quick Hit on Mobility and HCI - Juan Pons, Swype

Panel Discussion: Haptics- The Beginnings and Future of Touch - Nimish Mehta

Augmenting the World of Things - Jeff Powers, Occipital; Matt Szymczyk, Zugara; Robert Rice, Neogence; Gene Becker, Layar; Moderated by John Minnihan, Freepository

Why HCI will lead the biggest tech revolution yet - Andrew Tschesnok, Organic Motion
Location as a Primary Interface Input - Matt Galligan, SimpleGeo; Nick Brachet, Skyhook Wireless
Robotics, Gaming and The Future of Entertainment- Paul Berberian, Orbotix
Virtual Coaches in Healthcare: A Vision of the Future - Dan Siewiorek, Carnegie Mellon University
10 reasons to be happy about giving computers emotion sensing - Dr. Rosalind Picard, MIT
Commercializing HCI Technology - Dr. Paul Kedrosky, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Dr. Gerry Barnett

Breakout Sessions:
Human Instrumentation - James Park, FitBit; Ben Rubin, Zeo; Jason Jacobs, RunKeeper;
Steve Larsen, moderator
New Museum Experiences: Learning from Multitouch and Multiuser Installations - Jim Spadacinni, Ideum
Kinect Hacks - Jonathan C. Hall; Lonergan Harrington; Jim Spadacinni, Sean Kean, moderator
Interactive Ads and Consumer Experiences - Alessio Signorini, Immersive Labs; Jon Fox, Helios Interactive
Augmented Reality - Ready for Primetime? - Vikas Reddy, Occipital; Carlin Getliffe, Omniar; Edwin Rivera, Credelis; Dan Rua, moderator
Building an Interface for Endangered Language Learners - Finn Thye and Kelson Adams, Univ of Colorado - Boulder
Alternative Interface Inputs - Gary Clayton, Nuance; Nick Langdale-Smith, Seeing Machines; RJ Auburn, Voxeo; Steve Larsen, moderator
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation "Idea Hack" - Commercializing HCI Technology: A Discussion - led by Paul Kedrosky
Building Natural User Interfaces - Thomas Peterson, SoftKinetic; Ohad Shvueli, Prime Sense; David Minnen, Oblong
3D Interactive Design for the Human Body - Albert Hwang
Panel: Will the Kinect Change the HCI Industry Forever? A Group Discussion
HCI in the 21st Century: Technologies for Extending and Amplifying the Human Experience (pdf) - Dr. Charlie Hughes, UCF; Dr. David Pratt; Dr. Joseph LaViola; moderated by Steve Fiore, UCF

Some Videos of HCI/Tech featured at Blur 2011
360 Panorama occipitalhq

"Illuminous" Eric Gradman

"Standard Gravity" Eric Gradman, OpenKinect (libfreenect/python)

Organic Motion Markerless Motion Capture

Advisory:
Steve Fiore, University of Central Florida
Bob Allen, Disney R&D
Kay Stanney, Design Interactive
Capt. Dylan Schmorrow, USN