"Holographic" Desk Allows Interaction With Virtual Objects 85
Zibodiz writes "The Sensors and Devices group at Microsoft Research has developed a new system called HoloDesk that allows users to pick up, move and even shoot virtual 3D objects.
It's about the size of a filing cabinet and is made up of an overhead screen that projects a 2D image through a half-silvered beam splitter into a viewing area beneath. A Kinect camera keeps tabs on a user's hand position within the 3D virtual environment, a webcam tracks the user's face to help with placement accuracy, and custom algorithms bring everything together in (something very close to) real time."
Already been done.... back in 98 (Score:3, Informative)
I worked for the Electronics Visualization Laboratory, back in the late 90's. We developed a similar system called PARIS,some time around 1998.
http://www.evl.uic.edu/core.php?mod=4&type=1&indi=83
Re:HoloDesk? (Score:5, Informative)
There's no force-feedback yet. You can interact with object in the environment, but you can't feel them. So this is of no interest to Picard, or the porn industry, for now.
Not on this one, but the University of Tokyo is coming closer to force feedback using ultrasound:
http://www.gizmag.com/tactile-holographic-display/12466/ [gizmag.com]