Join RePro3D system lets users play with and touch digital 3D characters
This is the RePro3D system, and it is under development by Keio University in Japan.
My Source calls it a miniature holodeck, but I don’t believe that this is an accurate description. You can see in the video after the jump what it actually is, and it combines several technologies.
The user looks into this box, and projectors create a naked-eye 3D fairy character. An infrared camera tracks the users hands, and that device that you see in the photo is for haptic feedback. It reminds me of those devices we discussed yesterday that could be used for virtual video game stabbings and shootings.
Continue reading » RePro3D system lets users play with and touch digital 3D characters
This concept aircraft carrier is mostly made of ice
During World War II, there were a lot of technologies proposed that seem outlandish by today’s standards.
One of them was by a British inventor named Geoffrey Pike, who wanted to build an aircraft carrier that was mostly composed of ice. He wanted to build it using Pykrete, a material that is 86 percent ice and 14 percent sawdust.
You might be thinking that the only place to build a carrier made of ice would be in Arctic regions. There might not be a reason to defend this cold area, but this ice carrier is actually made for warmer waters, too. Yes, it would begin to melt, but it can be repaired while at sea using the waters around it. Don’t ask me how it is supposed to do that.
Continue reading » This concept aircraft carrier is mostly made of ice
This gaming technology shows what it feels like to get shot or stabbed
I have seen video-game accessories that give the user haptic feedback in the form of small vibrations, to indicate that he or she has been hit.
This research group at the University of Electro-Communication takes it one step further as it wants to show users what it is like to be stabbed or shot.
I don’t believe that this is done in a way that actually feels as painful as being stabbed or shot, but the effect is done with vibration. Here’s how it works: if two separate points on the skin are stimulated in the same way at the same time, then it can occasionally feel like the space in between these points of contact is touched.
Continue reading » This gaming technology shows what it feels like to get shot or stabbed
Razer courts Xbox 360 community with ultimate arcade stick
Razer is an old hand when it comes to rolling out gaming peripherals, and you know by their pedigree that they do follow a no-nonsense procedure when churning out quality products. Well, this time around, it would be the Xbox 360 community who is set to benefit from what Razer has in mind – the company recently introduced a major closed beta program that intends to encourage community feedback on the design of a highly-customizable arcade stick for the Xbox 360.
Yes sir, it sounds as though Razer wants to endow Xbox 360 owners with an arcade stick that is set to stand the test of time – design-wise as well as in terms of build. This arcade stick will be developed with pro-gamer feedback, where it currently resides at the prototype stage.
Continue reading » Razer courts Xbox 360 community with ultimate arcade stick
Levitatr Portable Bluetooth Keyboard
I must admit that I could not do this post without a physical keyboard with keys. I tried to do a post from my Droid X before, and it just didn’t work.
Apparently, James Stumpf has had the same problem when he was typing on his iPad, and he was on a an airplane when he had a funny yet inspirational thought. What if the keys could just grow up out of the glass?
This is the idea of the Levitatr, a Bluetooth keyboard that can retract its keys when not in use. The idea is to prevent accidental key presses, and keep dirt and crumbs out. You can watch a video of it after the jump, and they really try and make retractable keys as dramatic as possible.
Continue reading » Levitatr Portable Bluetooth Keyboard
Electrolux concept laptop is also a stove
Electrolux has a Design contest every year, and I take it that they just love concept designs. This laptop is one of the more unusual ones.
I don’t know how practical it is, and you can see how easy it is to describe. It is a laptop that has a stove on it, for crying out loud.
The first thing I could think of was “where is the keyboard”? I was guessing that it needed a separate keyboard, preferably wireless. Yet I have heard that it has touchscreen computer touch controls. You better make sure the burner is off before you start to type.
Continue reading » Electrolux concept laptop is also a stove
Freddie Wong video shows the possible future of video games
Perhaps you have never heard of Freddie Wong before, but he is the winner of the World Series of Video Games in 2007. He is also a filmmaker with two very popular YouTube channels, and he makes some pretty awesome videos.
One of his latest is called Future Motion Control Gaming, and it uses some interesting visual effects to show what could easily be the future. You can watch the video after the jump.
The technology to live out the video doesn’t seem to exist yet. You can see Freddie put on some sort of holographic projector of some type that is able to scan where he is. From there, it can project alien enemies that he shoots up with his PS3 Move.
Continue reading » Freddie Wong video shows the possible future of video games
BAE Systems creates Adaptiv armor systems to turn objects invisible on infrared
If you look closely at the tank in this image, you will notice that it is covered with hexagonal-sectioned armor. The purpose of this honeycomb armor is that they dynamically adjust their heat emissions.
This is BAE Systems Adaptiv armor system that allows vehicles to disguise themselves from infrared scanners. I’m sure you have seen how infrared cameras are used to see in the dark, as objects with heat look lighter than their cooler surroundings.
The Adaptiv armor is able to disguise by making a tank or other vehicle look like something less threatening like an animal. It does this by adjusting the temperature pixels on its shell. It can even make a tank disappear, and you can see (or not see) it for yourself if you click on the Source link.
Continue reading » BAE Systems creates Adaptiv armor systems to turn objects invisible on infrared
