Information At Our Fingertips...Literally

The brilliant minds at MIT have created yet another unbelievable new product that further enhances our ability to communicate and obtain information. With the integration of iPhones and Blackberries into our society, it may seem like information is at our fingertips. It is nothing compared to the new product that MIT is in the process of creating. Called the Sixth Sense, the device feeds the user information depending on their gestures and turns any surface into an interactive, touchable display. It only consists of a webcam and a battery powered projector with a mirror, and this all is programmed to your cell phone. The $350 model they built is only a prototype, and it will only improve as time goes on. You use your fingertips in order to tell the device what to do and how to use the interactive display. Two fingers on each hand have different fingertip colors (for now, the more stylish way is to just paint your fingernails different colors), and the device reads the gesture you make with these fingers. There is no definite date for release, but the MIT said the product has the potential to be released today if they wanted to. The possibilities for this product seem endless and are at times, unbelievable.
The Sixth Sense’s main goal is to integrate technology and the internet into everyday life. The director of the project, Pattie Maes says, “By making available information needed for decision-making beyond what we have access to with our five senses, it effectively gives users a sixth sense”. The product is able to do numerous things, all without pulling out your cell phone. You can display a keypad onto your palm, press the numbers, and make a call. By putting your fingertips into a square shape, the camera reads this as taking a picture and will take a picture of whatever you’re facing. The camera also can read objects such as boarding passes and products. If you put your boarding pass in front of it, it tells you whether your flight is on time and if any changes have been made to it. Also, it scans products, and depending on what you set your preferences to (as in if you want products that are good for the environment), it will say whether the product meets these criteria. One of the very useful features has to do with books. If you go to the bookstore and put a book in front of the camera, it will project information from Amazon.com on the ratings for the book and how much it costs there. If you open up the front cover, it gives you information on the author, critiques from those who have read the book, and summaries. If you open the book to any page, it calls up background information from the internet on useful things found on the page. Also, one of the more controversial uses is the ability for it to give you information on people. When you meet someone, it can project information on what they do, where they work, and other attributes about them.
I think this is a fascinating and exciting new product. I wouldn’t buy it right now because it still has some kinks to be worked out and is rather bulky-looking. I think with time, they will be able to make it smaller, and it could end up being the size of a pin you wear on your suit coat someday. I think the uses for it are clearly obvious. From making a call and bringing up your email, to getting a video projected about the story your reading in the newspaper, this product enhances our ability to easily receive and use information. Besides the convenience part of the product, it also will be useful in less obvious ways. In the future it has the possibility to turn sign language from someone who is deaf into audio and maybe increase the abilities of those that are handicapped. I think this product can eventually be used in the corporate world, and will help companies have information on their products and customers right at their fingertips. Although this product has a ways to go before it is integrated into society, I think it has a very bright future ahead.

Sources:
http://www.cio.com/article/489089/MIT_Wearable_Gadget_Gives_You_Sixth_Sense_a_la_Minority_Report_?page=2