UIs of the Future - Mixed Reality...Sooner Than You Think!

 

Technology enthusiast have followed mixed reality technology for years but the more relaxed technologist will soon become aware of the technology as it moves into the main stream. What makes mixed reality so interesting is its potential to rewrite the rules of how we interact with mobile computers and the world around us.

Focal Points:

• For those non-tech enthusiasts, augmented reality and augmented virtuality are the two technologies that comprise mixed reality, which integrates the real world with the virtual world. Augmented reality layers data on top of real-time images, similar to a heads-up display in a fighter pilot's helmet or the first down line superimposed on our TV during a Sunday afternoon football game(that's American football for the international crowd). Augmented virtuality is the ability for users to interact with a virtual environment using hand gestures. The Nintendo Wii is a good example.
• Mixed reality may be more fit for sci-fi movies than today's cell phone market but the potential is very compelling. Imagine using hand gestures to manipulate virtual data projected onto the real world. It might look like the "SixthSense" project from MIT labs.
• Four technologies and industry trends are converging to make breakthrough users interfaces more plausible:

1. Advancements in low level software on chip-sets is allowing visual inputs to be processed much closer to the hardware, improving performance.
2. Video cameras on phones have seen tremendous penetration and are becoming standard features. Ubiquitous video cameras provides inputs for mixed reality applications.
3. Accelerometers, compasses and GPS are also becoming more standard on smartphones providing support for hand gestures and situational awareness.
4. Pico projectors, or miniature projectors, are beginning to be integrated into phones allowing users to project virtual data onto the real world.

• The growing popularity and advancements in Adobe Flash may make it the software platform that leads the charge. Flash on mobile devices provides an open source cross device platform that provides a foundation for developers to create visually intensive applications. Flash 10.1 also has features to allow accelerometer inputs providing data for more dynamic applications. Also, Adobe's announced partnerships with Nvidea and Qualcomm will get Flash decoding accelerated directly on the chip-set, another development that will lead to better performance and more compelling experiences.

While the building blocks seem to be coming together to create a innovative environment, the real breakthroughs will come from creative people who can invent useful applications and compelling users experiences.