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"Combining glass" brings together real and virtual in augmented reality reflections
The reflection of a user's finger 'touches' a museum artifact, causing a projected pop-up to appear
Perhaps you've been in a situation where you noticed that your reflection in a window looked like it was actually standing amongst the items that were visible through that window. Now, scientists at the University of Bristol have taken that phenomenon and incorporated it into an experimental new interactive display. Among other things, it lets users select objects seen through a pane of glass, using the reflection of their finger on that glass.
When you view an item's reflection in a mirror, that reflection appears to be sitting in an actual three-dimensional physical location on the other side of the glass. That location remains consistent for that item, independent of the angle from which the mirror is being viewed – if you move over and look at the mirror from off to one side, for instance, the "location" of the item's reflection won't change from your perspective. The U Bristol display utilizes that principle.
It incorporates semi-transparent glass that both acts as a mirror, and allows the viewer to see objects located on the other side of it – such a setup is known as a "combining glass." Sensors track both the location of the user's hand relative to the viewing side of the glass, along with a displayed object's location relative to the opposite side of the glass. By combining that data, it can ascertain where the reflection of the hand will appear in relation to the object.
This means that the system can tell (for example) when the reflection of a user's index finger is "touching" a museum artifact in a display case. Using an overhead-mounted projector, it can then spotlight that object, or project a pop-up box that contains information.
If the projector is facing towards the user, then it can project content directly onto their hand or something that they're holding, which they'll be able to view in the reflection. For example, they can hold up a piece of paper and pass its reflection "through" an item on the other side of the glass. As they do so, the projector will project a corresponding view of the inside of the item, onto that paper.
Additionally, the system is able to work in two directions at once. This means that users could be located on both sides of a combining glass, collaboratively working with projected data, or with an object located on either side.
Along with its possible use in places like museums, the Bristol team believes that the technology could also have applications in things like art installations, medical imaging and airport security. It could even be used in storefront windows, allowing after-hours shoppers to select items of clothing, see them projected onto themselves, then purchase them and arrange for home delivery.
The system can be seen in use, in the video below.
Source: University of Bristol
Source: http://www.gizmag.com/combining-glass-interactive-display/34173/
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Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.
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