Amanda Shoults and Niki Huffman

THE SIXTH SENSE TECHNOLOGY

WHAT IS IT?!

The Sixth Sense technology is a “wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us with digital information and lets us use natural hand gestures to interact

with that information.”

This means that we are making more and more progress to blur the lines between reality and technology. The Sixth Sense technology is a wearable headset that allows us to

have greater access to a huge amount of technology. This is all, quite literally, at our fingertips.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

HOW DOES IT WORK?

We access this technology through colored pads that are placed around the fingertips. Each color corresponds to a different function that the pads do. A neckpiece, shown, is worn around the neck that has a camera and a projector to project images virtually everywhere.

The Sixth Sense is not merely for business use. Everyday citizens can use the technology for virtually anything. The technology means to replace cell phones by allowing us to

place calls, draw pictures, check the weather, take pictures of real life, watch videos, shop for the best deal, read book

reviews while reading the book, and many other uses.

HOW CAN IT BE USED?

This technology was introduced in 2009. We have made great leaps in technology since then. While the technology might seem too bulky to wear today, it merely shows that

we have the capability to interact with the virtual world for real life tasks.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE?!

-Social Issues include how this new technology might affect people. While not an “issue”, it could definitely

change how people interact with each other. It could make things much easier but also more different. If we are so

plugged in around cell phones, this new technology might make us even more plugged in to our technology.

-Ethical Issues include privacy. While the projector might be obvious around someone’s neck, with our new

technology it will be a much smaller device. If the camera is small enough, this would allow people to even take pictures

without someone being aware of it.

-Global Issues include the Global Divide and Equality of Access. Many people will not be able to afford this new

technology and will therefore not be allowed to purchase it.

SOCIAL, ETHICAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES

While watching this video, please think and write about the following:

This video was made in 2009. How has technology changed and how could we use this technology to change the future?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrtANPtnhyg

VIDEO!

1. Boyd, Clark. "SixthSense Blurs Digital and the Real." BBC News. BBC, 14 Apr. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7997961.stm>.

2. "SixthSense - a Wearable Gestural Interface (MIT Media Lab)." SixthSense - a Interfwearable Gestural Ace (MIT Media Lab). N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.

<http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense/>.

3. Zetter, Kim. "TED: MIT Students Turn Internet Into a Sixth Human Sense — Video." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 05 Feb. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.

<http://www.wired.com/business/2009/02/ted-digital-six/>.

4. Daniel, Diann. "MIT Wearable Gadget Gives You Sixth Sense." PCWorld. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.

<http://www.pcworld.com/article/163072/wearable_gadget.html>.

5. Pogue, David. "At TED, Virtual Worlds Collide With Reality." Pogue's Posts Blog. N.p., 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.

<http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/at-ted-virtual-worlds-collide-with-reality/>.

6. "MIT Team Shows ;Sixth Sense; Wearable Computer | Fox News." Fox News. FOX News Network, 09 Feb. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.

<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,489444,00.html>.

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