Dreams of Robots

This video runs through some of the latest tech behind the new Xbox and what the sensors are actually seeing. It's pretty amazing stuff from skeletal tracking, face recognition and muscle intensity predictions. It also links a user to a facial profile and aligns your orientations - so when you walk up to it it logs you in and makes sure that whatever controller you have, the split screen is always on the side you are... freaky, but awesome! 

PLURALITY: There are a number of awesome scenes in this futuristic short film. It’s about a surveillance grid that tracks people by their DNA. Set in a futuristic 2023 NYC, there are some great examples of graphic UI and interactions. The HUD, mobile and even the wall interactions are great. Well made and fun to watch.

Smart Bird by Festo: Another biomimicry inspired robot by Festo where they've replicated mans age old dream of "flight by flapping wings". While it still looks a little jerky, it's also pretty amazing. It even has the added benefit of being able to steer it remotely so it doesn't always fly a away...

Not that futuristic, but this kickstarter backed startup is seriously changing the way that kids can get into coding. It's super simple and programming it is as easy as drag and dropping triggers and actions form a list to program it. Runs off the brains of an iPhone 4 or iPod touch so is super cheap ($150) and very user friendly. It can also be controlled from another iDevice or via the web. It's making robotics mainstream.

Linked with something like a kinect or other motion detector, this sort of device could easily turn our living rooms into a virtual bookshelf where you can interact with items outside of the screen to control media, show news or other stats - all while not interfering with whats actually on the screen... 

We are all Cyborgs now: This is an awesome TED Talk on how we are merging with technologies. While it covers space / time continuums and worm holes, it also has some great analogies on how tools originally extended us physically and technology extends us mentally.

http://www.festo.com/cms/en_corp/9457.htm

THis is a pretty cool concept fo where technology like Google Glass could lead us. It's all about totally immersive experiences by moving the interface onto a contact lens that reacts with voice, eye tracking and gestures.

I could think of no better way than to start this blog off with a look into the exciting future technologies that are expected to become a reality in our lifetimes. It’s some pretty awesome stuff – hopefully I’ll be here to cover some of the more interesting advancements…