TED2009: Pattie Maes

MIT Media Lab researcher Pattie Maes is on stage at TED2009.

We don't have sense organs for data. Thanks to efforts such as Tim Berner-Lee's all of this knowledge has become available online. Could we evolve a 6th sense that would give us access to meta-information that may help us make the right decisions?

When you go to supermarket and you look at all the different kinds of toilet papers, you don't pull out your cell phone to look for which brand is the most eco-friendly (but I'll bet some of you Boing Boing readers so!).

Pattie is wearing web-camera, a battery-powered projection system with mirror. It lets you walk up to any surface (including your hand) and interact with the projected interface. It responds to his gestures. If you hold your hands like you are taking a photo, the camera takes a photo, and then when you go back to the office, you can project all your photos and sort through them using natural gestures. She showed a projection of a phone keypad on her palm and dialed a number to make a call.

She shows a video of a guy looking at products in a supermarket. It projects a green, yellow, or red dot on a product, telling you whether or not it's eco-friendly (or whatever criteria you set up). If you look at a book, it'll project the Amazon rating on the book. Projecting a video of a news story on a blank rectangle on the Wall Street Journal!

[#1 posted by Takuan , February 4, 2009 5:13 PM]

I really enjoyed Rainbows End

[#2 posted by robulus , February 4, 2009 5:33 PM]

That is such a cool concept. You could set it up to calculate unit pricing and pick bargains. It's like Universal soldier meets consumer advocacy!

[#3 posted by ridl , February 4, 2009 5:52 PM]

Do want.

Will it remember the name of that dude you met last week's and when prompted project it discreetly on his face? Because that's what I'm most looking forward to with the iGlasses, but this is a good intermittent step.

[#4 posted by Anonymous , February 4, 2009 10:49 PM]

Yeah, this is amazingly similar to Rainbows End, which is both creepy and awesome.

[#5 posted by bcsizemo , February 5, 2009 12:47 AM]

Maybe I'm getting old (at 29 none the less), but I don't get it. Fine, I understand you can care about X or Y when buying something. But isn't that what research is for? It's not like there are 5 new brands of TP every time you go to the store.

Frankly I buy what I like, which rarely changes...

I do see a positive to it. Going to a store to buy something without the need of a sales person to harass me. Why would you need sales people if you can look up any spec, info, or opinion about something instantly?

Sales, another industry technology will make obsolete! :-)

[#6 posted by pKp , February 7, 2009 3:33 PM]

Is it just me, or can this go WAY beyond product ID ?

"showed a projection of a phone keypad on her palm and dialed a number to make a call."

It means you can interact with a computer without having to haul it around. I already do that with my cellphone, but imagine having a full-sized (albeit virtual) keyboard and screen materializing before your eyes any time you want them...wouldn't that be cool ? Augmented reality ftw.

[#7 posted by Anonymous , February 10, 2009 12:45 PM]

"It means you can interact with a computer without having to haul it around."

Really? Then what's the backpack for?

[#8 posted by Lea Hernandez , March 13, 2009 9:34 AM]

I was going to @fauc this, but searched BB before I did. I watched the vid this morning and was absolutely charmed AND sold on it.
The audience's delight with the various interface uses was great, especially the watch.

Do. Want.