Depth Cameras and Projectors Combine To Make Smart
Environments
Researchers previously have shown that a depth camera
system, such as Kinect, can be combined with a projector to turn almost any
surface into a touchscreen. But now researchers at Carnegie Mellon University
have demonstrated how these touch-based interfaces can be created almost at
will, with the wave of a hand.
CMU's WorldKit system enables someone to rub the arm of a
sofa to "paint" a remote control for her TV or swipe a hand across an
office door to post his calendar from which subsequent users can "pull
down" an extended version. These ad hoc interfaces can be moved, modified
or deleted with similar gestures, making them highly personalized.