Communications of the ACM
Miragetable: Microsoft Presents Augmented Reality Device
The MirageTable makes virtual interactions such as a dominos game possible.
Credit: Microsoft Research, Technical University of Lisbon
Microsoft is developing an augmented reality system that allows users in different locations to work together on a tabletop and share and handle objects. Demonstrated at a conference in Austin, Texas, the MirageTable deceives the eye of users into believing they are using a seamless three-dimensional (3D) shared task space.
MirageTable uses a 3D-video projector to beam images onto a sheet of curved white plastic placed in front of the user, and at each end, one of Microsoft's Kinect depth camera sensors is used to track the direction of each user's gaze, as well as the shape and appearance of objects placed on the surface and the participant sitting behind them. Users must wear shutter glasses to see the projected image in 3D, and the experience is powered by two computers linked by a network connection.
Microsoft calls the projector/depth camera system a significant improvement on current videoconferencing technologies, and notes that it could be used to create a single-person gaming experience. "The unique benefit of this setup is that two users share not only the 3D image of each other, but also the tabletop task space in front of them," says the team.
From BBC News
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