Comments on: Comments on 10957

Post number 10957

mathowie — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 13:47:58 -0800

The next step in paperless offices? "Augmented Surfaces" is a research project at Sony. They've developed continuous workspaces that use wall and table surfaces as an extension of the computer desktop. Amazing stuff, though I can't think of a use for it besides exchanging info during meetings.

By: vbfg

vbfg — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 14:40:53 -0800

What's the name of that game where a puck sits on a cushion of air on a table and you use other pucks with handles to knock it back and forward almost without friction? Instead of playing Solitaire whilst you should be working in your cubicle, use this technology play this in meetings with your cow-orkers! You could have four or five a side on big board room tables. It's team building.

By: the_ill_gino

the_ill_gino — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 14:43:10 -0800

A little off topic but there is a link at the bottom of the Augmented Surfaces page which goes to a page about The Ultimate Baseball Watching Station minus beer...

By: Benway

Benway — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 14:45:23 -0800

You're thinking of Air Hockey Or if you a a gamer, this could be the ultimate gaming space. Unreal Tournament would be incredible.

By: chino

chino — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 14:57:06 -0800

He's also got a brilliant archiving strategy, though there are still some technological issues. Come along, Sherman.

By: skallas

skallas — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 15:43:19 -0800

Almost as cool as the Ultimate Cuuuubicle! *echo*

By: aladfar

aladfar — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 15:44:05 -0800

Sony aren't the only folks working on this. I saw an interesting demonstration at an office furniture show here in Chicago (NeoCon at the Mart), but I can't recall which company it was - might have been Haworth. At any rate, they had integrated the computer into the desktop itself - essentially, there was not "monitor" in the traditional sense. Obviously, they didn't have a working prototype, and instead relied on projected images. They did, however, have a beta version of the software working on a touch screen. It was most cool, and seems like the next logical step in the advancement of computing. Anyone know of any "surfaces" that would allow these sorts of displays? It makes me think about digital ink technology.

By: hockeyman

hockeyman — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 16:07:20 -0800

I would have to keep my desk cleaned off. Better yet, maybe this system would organize my mess for me! There might be hope for us IT guys yet...

By: D

Sun, 30 Sep 2001 16:36:47 -0800

I'm curious about the linking-to-real-objects part of the system, the videotape example. Are the cameras identifying and remembering the look of the tape, so that if it was taken out of the room and back in, the system would remember the links?

By: moz

moz — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 17:07:25 -0800

sounds like the TV walls in bradbury's fahrenheit 451. let's hope the entertainment isn't as vacuous.

By: realjanetkagan

realjanetkagan — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 17:37:08 -0800

Purely useless in an office, except as "my toys are better than your toys," but I can't WAIT to see what artists can do with it!

By: sugarfish

sugarfish — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 17:37:43 -0800

dude. porn.

By: sierray

sierray — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 17:46:29 -0800

I do not need this. I can't clear off my desk, now I have to clear off my walls, too.

By: peterme

peterme — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 17:46:50 -0800

Bruce Tognazzini, when he was at Sun, developed a "video prototype" for a similar technology, Starfire. It was all visionary stuff--they didn't build the tech, just did some conceptual design.

By: briank

briank — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 17:53:34 -0800

At my last job we were treated to some demos of some similar technology from the MIT Media Lab -- once again, it felt like technology looking for a solution.

By: MiguelCardoso

MiguelCardoso — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 19:41:58 -0800

Please use these images in your articles, presentation/lecture slides, with a copyright notice such as "Copyright(C) 1998-1999, Sony Computer Science Laboratories", You have to love that "such as"! Now if everybody was that polite we wouldn't need paper in the first place...

By: ArkIlloid

ArkIlloid — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 20:37:04 -0800

They need to add a scanner into the table so if someone does come to the meeting with a piece of paper they can just scan it on the table to share with everybody...no more waiting for someone to run off to the copier for copies.

By: Dick Paris

Dick Paris — Sun, 30 Sep 2001 22:49:08 -0800

<off topic> from the Air Hockey News link: "Waive your flag!" </off topic>

By: pracowity

pracowity — Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:45:12 -0800

> They need to add a scanner into the table It would also be useful at office parties.