Morph is a concept demonstrating some of the possibilities nanotechnologies might enable in future communication devices. Morph can sense its environment, is energy harvesting and self cleaning. Morph is a flexible two-piece device that can adapt its shape to different use modes. Nanotechnology enables to have adaptive materials yet rigid forms on demand. It is also featured in the MoMA online exhibition "Design and the Elastic Mind". It has been a collaboration project of Nokia Research Center and Cambridge Nanoscience Center.
Find out more: Morph
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Stanford's Make3D - 3D flythroughs from a single 2D image
Make3D is a project from two Stanford students that won a 'best paper' award at the International Conference on Computer Vision in Rio de Janeiro in October 2007.
The online service takes a 2D image and creates a 3D'esque fly around models that include depth and a range views. Photos can be uploaded directly or pulled into the site from Flickr - however the service requires that you rate at least five images before you can pull them in from Flickr. You can jump in and just use the upload from hard drive option though
Click through to this link to see an example of it in action from a photo I took in Egypt at the pyramids:
Note: it doesn't work for Intel Mac and Shockwave but there is a workaround for installing a VRML viewer for Linux which will be given to you as an option.
The tech lowdown on the algorithm from January Stanford News Service :
…the algorithm breaks the image up into tiny planes called “superpixels,” which are within the image and have very uniform color, brightness and other attributes. By looking at a superpixel in concert with its neighbors, analyzing changes such as gradations of texture, the algorithm makes a judgment about how far it is from the viewer and what its orientation in space is. Unlike some previous algorithms, the Stanford one can account for planes at any angle, not just horizontal or vertical. This allows it to create models for scenes that have planes at many orientations, such as the curved branches of trees or the slopes of mountains.
An excellent diagram on the process can be found here.
This is one of the first web services of this ilk out of the starting gate. Microsoft have had Photosynth for a while but instead of using one image to derive the model it meshes together multiple images.
The online service takes a 2D image and creates a 3D'esque fly around models that include depth and a range views. Photos can be uploaded directly or pulled into the site from Flickr - however the service requires that you rate at least five images before you can pull them in from Flickr. You can jump in and just use the upload from hard drive option though
Click through to this link to see an example of it in action from a photo I took in Egypt at the pyramids:
Note: it doesn't work for Intel Mac and Shockwave but there is a workaround for installing a VRML viewer for Linux which will be given to you as an option.
The tech lowdown on the algorithm from January Stanford News Service :
…the algorithm breaks the image up into tiny planes called “superpixels,” which are within the image and have very uniform color, brightness and other attributes. By looking at a superpixel in concert with its neighbors, analyzing changes such as gradations of texture, the algorithm makes a judgment about how far it is from the viewer and what its orientation in space is. Unlike some previous algorithms, the Stanford one can account for planes at any angle, not just horizontal or vertical. This allows it to create models for scenes that have planes at many orientations, such as the curved branches of trees or the slopes of mountains.
An excellent diagram on the process can be found here.
This is one of the first web services of this ilk out of the starting gate. Microsoft have had Photosynth for a while but instead of using one image to derive the model it meshes together multiple images.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Don't Click It
http://www.dontclick.it/
This is a great little project that allows you to navigate and do your web business without ever having to click on bit of the virtual screen. Although a little migraine inducing as the screens change constantly it is actually quite simple to use.
Contextual actions for such an interface (normally provided by right mouse click) will have to be programmed in from the beginning as part of the UI. A pretty big plus is the removal of tendon damage from all the inane clicking we do.
Another aspect of this type of interface is that with a simple projector and a flat surface (i.e. a desk) you could even use your finger OR a stick to move around the virtual space and options.
I dig (single g) it.
This is a great little project that allows you to navigate and do your web business without ever having to click on bit of the virtual screen. Although a little migraine inducing as the screens change constantly it is actually quite simple to use.
Contextual actions for such an interface (normally provided by right mouse click) will have to be programmed in from the beginning as part of the UI. A pretty big plus is the removal of tendon damage from all the inane clicking we do.
Another aspect of this type of interface is that with a simple projector and a flat surface (i.e. a desk) you could even use your finger OR a stick to move around the virtual space and options.
I dig (single g) it.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Speaking Freely
"You are currently studying user generated content and I'm not obsessed with the fact about trying to become the next ___."
spoken through SpinVox
What was actually said:
"We are currently studying User Generated Content and we're not obsessed with trying to become the next Facebook"
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Speaking Freely
"The majority of computing is working collectively towards murtuality."
spoken through SpinVox
What was actually said
"The majority of computing is working collectively towards Virtual Reality"
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Speaking Freely
Speak your blog through SpinVox now.
I'm reading this first blog over the spin Vox Service. This service knocks me out and I christen this blog off the coff(?) IT stuff.
@We set ourselves free and avoid the Darwinian ending of big thumbs.
What was actually said
"Speak your blog through SpinVox now. I'm reading this first blog over the SpinVox service. This service knocks me out and I christen this blog Off The Cuff IT Stuff". We set ourselves free and avoid the Darwinian ending of big thumbs"
I'm reading this first blog over the spin Vox Service. This service knocks me out and I christen this blog off the coff(?) IT stuff.
@We set ourselves free and avoid the Darwinian ending of big thumbs.
spoken through SpinVox
What was actually said
"Speak your blog through SpinVox now. I'm reading this first blog over the SpinVox service. This service knocks me out and I christen this blog Off The Cuff IT Stuff". We set ourselves free and avoid the Darwinian ending of big thumbs"
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