FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
18 May 2009
For further information:
Brian Ban
+1.773.454.7423
+1.773.915.5050 fax
media@siggraph.org
SIGGRAPH Emerging
Technologies: Breakthroughs in Haptics, Robotics and
Gaming
(Chicago, IL) - SIGGRAPH 2009's Emerging
Technologies presents innovative technologies and applications in
many fields including alternative displays, robotics, input
interfaces, gaming, audio, haptics/VR, and experimental sensory
experiences.
Presented in a combination of curated
demonstrations and juried interactive installations, a minimum of
29 of the more than 100 international juried submissions were
selected and will be on display and available for interaction with
attendees in New Orleans this summer.
"These installations showcase how technology
and computer graphics might soon be enhancing the average person's
everyday work and life," stated Manabu Sakurai, SIGGRAPH 2009
Emerging Technologies Chair. "From helping those with physical
challenges to improving the entertainment experience, Emerging
Technologies offer a unique look into the future at how complex
technologies can have a major impact."
Following are only some of the highlights of this
popular venue.
Sound Scope Headphones
Masatoshi Hamanaka, SeungHee Lee - University of
Tsukuba
The Sound Scope Headphones let users control an
audio mixer through natural movements, and thus enable a musical
novice to separately listen to each musical instrument
independently during a group concert.
Potential Future
Use:
The Sound Scope Headphones will allow a novice user to control
different levels of musical pieces in a way that until now has only
been available using state of the art commercial equipment. For
example, when listening to jazz, one might want to clearly hear the
guitar while also eliminating or reducing the sound of the sax.
The UnMousePad - The Future of Touch Sensing
Ilya Rosenberg, Ken Perlin, Charles Hendee, Alexander Grau,
Nadim Awad, Adrian Secord, Merve Keles - New York University;
Christian Miller - University of Texas - Austin; Julien Beguin -
Gotham Wave Games
The UnMousePad is based on a flexible and
inexpensive sensor technology called IFSR that enables the
acquisition of high quality multi-touch pressure images. The core
advantage of this revolutionary sensor technology is that by
interpolating pressure, it allows tracking at high resolutions,
using a fairly coarse grid of electrodes.
Potential Future Use:
Multi-touch input has been an active area of
research for over two decades and has appeared on CNN, but not on
everyone's desk, computer screens, table-tops, walls and floors.
This technology allows for more commercial and mainstream use of
inexpensive, flexible and sensitive touch imaging
technology.
HeadSPIN: A One-to-Many 3D Video Teleconferencing
System
Andrew Jones, Magnus Lang, Graham Fyffe, Xueming Yu, Jay Busch
- University of Southern California, Institute for Creative
Technologies; Ian McDowall- Fakespace Labs; Mark Bolas - University
of Southern California, Institute for Creative Technologies &
School of Cinematic Arts; Paul Debevec - University of Southern
California, Institute for Creative Technologies
This installation presents a 3D teleconferencing
system that enables true eye contact between a three-dimensionally
transmitted subject and multiple participants in an audience. The
system is able to reproduce the effects of gaze, attention, and eye
contact not available in traditional teleconferencing systems.
Potential Future Use:
This device will take teleconferencing to a
much more personal level allowing participants to make eye contact
as if they were interacting face-to-face.
Graphical Instruction for a Garment Folding Robot
Yuta Sugiura - Graduate School of Media Design, Keio
University/ JST, ERATO, Tokyo; Takeo Igarashi - The University of
Tokyo / JST, ERATO, Tokyo; Hiroki Takahashi - Waseda University /
JST, ERATO, Tokyo; Tabare Akim Gowon - Harvard University /JST,
ERATO, Tokyo; Charith Lasantha Fernando, Maki Sugimoto, Masahiko
Inami - Graduate School of Media Design, Keio University/ JST,
ERATO, Tokyo
This project proposes the use of an interactive
graphical editor to give instructions to robots for folding
garments in a household environment. This editor allows the user to
specify instructions by performing simple editing operations
(clicking and dragging) in order to teach the robot how to uniquely
fold clothes.
Potential Future Use:
This technology provides a glimpse into the
future for improving the living conditions of consumer users, or
greatly improving the efficiency of industrial users.
Pull-Navi
Yuichiro Kojima, Yuki Hashimoto, Shogo Fukushima, Hiroyuki
Kajimoto - The University of Electro-Communications
While many tactile navigation systems have used
hands or arms, we developed a novel, intuitive, instinctive and
energy-efficient walk navigation interface that "pulls the
ears‚" and confirmed that users were inevitably tempted
to move in the pulled direction without experiencing pain or force.
The device simply is worn on the ears and leads or lightly pulls
the user in a desired direction.
Potential Future Use:
As the world becomes more and more
computer-based, there is a growing need for assistive technologies
to help those individuals with sight and hearing disabilities
engage in an electronic world. The Pull-Navi navigation system can
be used as a directional device to assist those with sight and
hearing impairments or to enhance a virtual gaming
experience.
Touchable Holography
Takayuki Hoshi, Masafumi Takahashi, Kei Nakatsuma, Hiroyuki
Shinoda - The University of Tokyo
Mid-air displays are attracting a lot of
attention as promising technologies in the field of digital signage
and home TV, and many types of holographic displays are proposed
and developed. Although we can "see" the projected images
as if they are really floating in front of us, we cannot
"touch" them because they are nothing but light. The
objective here is adding tactile feedback to the hovering image in
3D free space.
Potential Future Use:
Tactile holograms have the potential to create
a whole new environment for video games, education, or for
advertising with the ability to add the element of touch to
graphical displays in a real environment.
Virtualization Gate Benjamin Petit, Thomas
Dupeux, - INRIA; Jean-Denis Lesage - Grenoble Universities; Herve
Mathieu - INRIA; Edmond Boyer - Grenoble Universities; Bruno Raffin
– INRIA; Francois Faure - Grenoble Universities; Clement
Menier, Florian Geffray - 4D View Solutions; Laurence Boissieux,
Michael Adam, Florent Falipou - INRIA; Richard Broadbridge - 4D
View Solutions
Virtualization Gate uses a multi-camera
acquisition space coupled with the wearing of a head mounted
display to immerse users in a virtual world. Your full body will be
virtualized to enforce your presence in the ever-expanding world of
social networking and allow intuitive interactions with virtual
objects.
Potential Future
Use: With the ever
increasing technology surrounding interactive and social
networking, Virtualization Gate is a revolutionary technology that
allows users to experience dynamic social networking in a virtual
world.
For detailed information on the SIGGRAPH 2009
dynamically evolving program or to download a copy of the
SIGGRAPH 2009 Preview Video visit www.siggraph.org/s2009.
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About SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH 2009 will bring an anticipated 20,000 computer graphics
and interactive technology professionals from six continents to New
Orleans, Louisiana, USA for the industry's most respected technical
and creative programs focusing on research, science, art,
animation, music, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web
from Monday, 3 August through Friday, 7 August 2009 at the Ernest
N. Morial Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2009 includes a three-day
exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and
interactive marketplace from 4-6 August 2009. More than 200
international exhibiting companies are expected. More details are
available at www.siggraph.org/s2009.
About ACM
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery www.acm.org, is the world's largest
educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators,
researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources
and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing
profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion
of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence.
ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing
opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and
professional networking.
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