All long long time ago in a galax…. Wait. I exaggerate. A long time ago anyway I was part of a project that simply fired a light into your eye and displayed on your retina a simple image from a computer monitor. This image floated in front of you and you could read it easily whilst seeing the world around you. Similar to a heads up display on the car. I’ve waited a long time for a practical application to come along and now one has it is nothing like I expected.
Read this article about NEC’s translation retinal glasses. The display is part of a computing unit that listens to someone talking and displays what they are saying in your language. It will be very nice when it is ready for real use. I could use one of those when I am up in Glasgow next.
Even though the translation unit is not ready for the real world yet the application I was expecting is already part of the unit. Simply a display of manuals whilst you look at the real thing. Imagine looking inside your PC while you install a new component with this system showing a step by step guide in the retinal display for you to copy. It will revolutionise education and allow repairs and building by unskilled people on almost everything.
Sadly, instead of making the unit for sale individually. NEC have chosen to sell it as a classroom tool where a single teacher can display what he wishes to show and records what the others do. The unit comes in at a hefty $8.2M for a 30 seat set up. Hardly affordable. I guess I’ll scratch it off my XMas list for this year.
Can’t wait to see what the other electronic manufacturers do with this technology. I wonder if this could make the eBooks readers obsolete? Sat Nav whilst driving, heads up displays for cars, bikes. I/F for PDA’s, MP4 players, phones. There are a lot of applications out there waiting for an affordable retina display. I wonder if NEC may have lost a trick here by not going for the mass market.
I’ll be keeping my eye out for one of these.
Takes all the fun out of travel though. Also, how does it work in reverse? Does that French chick get to understand you too?
So they have tried to cash in on http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/30/green_berets_land_warrior/ the US land warrior system. There is also something funded by DARPA that is similar, so you might not have to wait too long.
James,
Only if she has one too or she speaks English.
Ivan,
Military apps are already using this technology. The Apache uses something similar, the same with the Challenger tank. I’m sure there is more. What was interesting about this is it was the first non military app I have seen with the idea in.
It can get rid of all the 3D screen, plasma etc. for a little unit that sits on your face. Add some sounds and a voice recognition system and we have a system that can take over the world.
I remember reading about some non military application – something like using google maps and a mobile phone – at the beginning of the year. Not being interested in using a mobile that way I didn’t keep the reference.
I have to agree with you about something like that taking over the world but it would need very good voice recognition and possibly a virtual keyboard for some things.
Ivan,
That was the first one for non military use outside the movies that I have spotted. I have not seen that other one.
Voice recognition improves daily. It won’t be long before there will be a system useful for all. Of course at this point half our population can’t speak English.
I agree about the keyboard. It’ll always be required for something but it’s use will decline once voice recognition is up to par. Only those stuck in a keyboard mentality will keep one.
I have voice recognition but still use the keyboard.
James,
I’m sure you have.many computers have it now but what I am talking about is you being able to talk to it and it input your data with a exceptional degree of accuracy.
I don’t think that exists now without significant voice recognition training of the computer and you talking unnaturally. It’s not far away as both these areas have improved dramatically over the last decade.
Interesting, did you plan to continue this article?
DingoDogg
Dingodogg,
In what way? I do intend to refer to similar innovations when they come up but see the future as a direct mind connection. Pref via some medium range communication method.