SIXTH SENSE DEVICE

codename : WUV~Wear Ur World

”integrating information with the real world”

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About…

The sixth sense is a wearable gestural interface device that augments the physical world with digital information and lets people use natural hand gestures to interact with that information.

It was developed by Pranav Mistry,a PhD

student in the fluid interfaces group at the MIT media lab.

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The basics…Sixth Sense allows people to use the internet without a screen or a keyboard.

It can turn any surface into a touch screen.

It is made with store-bought components.

“The software program processes the video stream data captured by the camera and tracks the locations of the colored markers [that you wear on your fingers] using simple computer-vision techniques”.

According to a number of sources, graduate students at MIT have been working on this for the past four months “day and night”.

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Just a few things it can do… “The device recognizes items in stores, and then gathers and projects information about products to the user. It also is able to provide quick signals to let users know what the best products are based on their needs.” 

“Another amazing feature is the device’s ability to look at an airplane ticket and let the user know whether the flight is delayed or on time. It is also able to recognize books (based on an image or RFID) in a book store and then project reader reviews or author information from the Internet onto blank pages.”

“The device can also recognize articles in newspapers, retrieve the latest related stories or video from the Internet and then display them on pages for the user. Say goodbye to your dictionary and encyclopedia.”

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Components & Principles The sixth sense prototype is composed of a

pocket projector,a mirror and a camera.The hardware components are coupled in a pendant like mobile wearable device.Both the projector and the camera are connected to the mobile computing device in the user’s pocket working such as :

The projector: projects visual information, enabling surfaces, walls and physical objects around the wearer to be used as interfaces;

The camera and hands: recognizes and tracks the user's hand gestures and physical objects using computer-vision based techniques.

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Components

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Components & Principles The software program: processes the video stream data captured by the camera and tracks the locations of the colored markers (visual tracking of colored fingers) at the tip of the user’s fingers using simple computer-vision techniques. The movements and arrangements of these fiducials are interpreted into gestures that act as interaction instructions for the projected application interfaces.

The maximum number of tracked fingers is only constrained by the number of unique fiducials, thus SixthSense also supports multi-touch and multi-user interaction.

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Interest The SixthSense prototype implements several

applications that demonstrate the usefulness, viability and flexibility of the system :

The map application lets the user navigate a map displayed on a nearby surface using hand gestures, similar to gestures supported by multi-touch based systems, letting the user zoom in, zoom out or pan using intuitive hand movements.

The drawing application lets the user draw on any surface by tracking the fingertip movements of the user’s index finger.

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Interest

SixthSense also recognizes user’s freehand gestures (postures). For example, it implements a gestural camera that takes photos of the scene the user is looking at by detecting the ‘framing’ gesture. The user can stop by any surface or wall and flick through the photos he/she has taken.

SixthSense also lets the user draw icons or symbols in the air using the movement of the index finger and recognizes those symbols as interaction instructions. For example, drawing a magnifying glass symbol takes the user to the map application or drawing an ‘@’ symbol lets the user check his mail.

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Interest The SixthSense system also augments physical objects the user is interacting with by projecting more information about these objects projected on them. For example, a newspaper can show live video news or dynamic information can be provided on a regular piece of paper.

The gesture of drawing a circle on the user’s wrist projects an analog watch.

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Here the video shows some of the applications of this device.

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Educational Use

Engagement

Research

Collaboration

Cost-Effectiveness

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Engagement Teachers may find that Sixth Sense, because of its unique ability to work with many of Gardner’s multiple intelligences, will be a catalyst for students who might otherwise remain unengaged in learning.

Sixth Sense uses the visual, kinesthetic, intrapersonal and interpersonal among others.

If this technology does nothing else, the idea that students can simply use their hands to draw images on walls and take pictures with their hands will be (at least initially) quite motivating

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Research

Sixth Sense will give new meaning to “looking something up.”

Since we are essentially talking about the internet, students will be given the opportunity to portably research the world.

They can all go on a virtual field trip and project the images on their own desks, for example.

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Collaboration Students will be given an opportunity through this technology to feel more connected to others.

Although there does seem to be the sense that individuals could walk through life wired and lonely, I like to think the classroom would serve as the environment in which students and teachers using Sixth Sense would want to share.

Not only could the sharing take place in the classroom, I suppose since the users are connected online, sharing could take place around the world.

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Cost-effectiveness As mentioned earlier, this product currently costs only $350. From an educator’s stand point, this is minimum given the amount of money spent on textbooks, computer labs and LCD projectors.

For educator’s, Sixth Sense would be a way to put technology (literally) into each student’s hands, because of its size and its cost.

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Advantages of sixth sense Portable

Inexpensive

“Cool”

Multi-sensory

Connectedness between the world and information

Critical thinking skills would be somewhat vital here…allowing teachers a fantastic opportunity for interdisciplinary study with critical thinking components

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Anticipated Time Frame According to a number of sources, the MIT students already have a patent on Sixth Sense. Still it is unclear as to when this device might actually become available for general purchasing.

Microsoft Surface does currently exist (which is similar in theory). But Microsoft’s product is not portable like Sixth Sense

Even if it came out next week, as educators we may need to wait some time in order to learn of the dangers that are sure to exist with the product.

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Cost of sixth sense $350 dollars

The interesting thing here is that Sixth Sense can never really be more expensive than its individual components .

Another interesting thing is the inventor of sixth sense,Mr. Pranav Mistry has declared to make it open source.

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