SIGGRAPH 2010's Emerging Technologies presents innovations across a broad range of applications, including displays, robotics, input interfaces, vision technologies and interactive techniques.
SIGGRAPH 2010's Emerging Technologies presents innovations across a broad range of applications, including displays, robotics, input interfaces, vision technologies and interactive techniques.
Presented in a combination of technologies chosen by the organizers and works selected by a jury of experts, the 22 selections came from more than 107 international submissions and will be on display and available for interaction with attendees in Los Angeles this summer.
"With every passing year, the technologies presented at SIGGRAPH become more and more astonishing," said Preston J. Smith, SIGGRAPH 2010 Emerging Technologies chair from Laureate Institute for Brain Research. "This year is no different as conference attendees will experience first-hand the latest achievements across science, commercial, and research fields. In some instances, these technologies are making their first public appearance and are coming to SIGGRAPH directly from research labs."
Highlights include:
Acroban the HumanoidOlivier Ly, INRIA/LaBRI; Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, INRIA
Acroban is the first humanoid robot able to demonstrate playful, compliant and intuitive physical interaction with children while moving and walking dynamically. Also, it is able to keep its equilibrium when moving even if unpredicted physical interactions are initiated by humans.
Potential Future Use:The system is presented in an entertainment human-robot interaction context specifically meant to engage children. In this demonstration, the robot has a range of behaviors that it combines in order to react intuitively, naturally and creatively to uncontrolled external intervention.
A Fluid-Suspension, Electromagnetically Driven Eye with Video Capability for Animatronic Applications
Lanny Smoot, Disney Research; Katie Bassett, Yale University; Marcus Hammond, Stanford University
This compact, fluid-suspension, electromagnetically gimbaled animatronic eye requires minimal operating power, a range of motion and saccade speeds that can exceed those of the human eye without the traditional frictional wear points.
Potential Future Use:In a special application, the eye can be separated into a hermetically sealable portion that might be used as a human eye prosthesis, along with an extra-cranially-mounted magnetic drive.
In-air Typing Interface for Mobile Devices with Vibration FeedbackTakehiro Niikura, Yuki Hirobe, Alvaro Cassinelli, Yoshihiro Watanabe, Takashi Komuro, Masatoshi Ishikawa and Atsushi Matsutani, The University of Tokyo
This vision-based 3D input interface for mobile devices does not require space on the surface of the device, other physical devices or specific environments. Based on a camera with a wide-angle lens, it can operate in a wide 3D space.
Potential Future Use:This device could one day replace the need for physical keyboards across all hardware.
Complete info can be found at: http://www.siggraph.org/s2010/for_attendees/emerging_technologies
SIGGRAPH 2010 will bring approximately 25,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to Los Angeles, California for the industry's most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, music, gaming, interactivity, education and the web from July 25-29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2010 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from July 27-29. More than 200 international exhibiting companies are expected. More details are available at www.siggraph.org/s2010.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
