“Sixth sense” device relies on HB LED-based projection

Here’s a compelling demonstration of the potential that HB LED-driven pico projectors, as part of a wearble “sixth sense” device, have for infiltrating our lives. The TED talk is given by Pattie Maes, a researcher at MIT’s Media Lab.

Watch the Sixth Sense demo video from this year’s TED conference. (Photos below are stills, not embedded videos.)

After a brief intro, the video shows the device’s creator, MIT PhD student Pranav Mistry, wearing the system which comprises a pico projector, a videocam, a mirror, and a phone that serves as the communication/computation device. 

Four of his fingers wear marker caps that the camera uses as a gesture-driven interface. The pico projector can turn any surface, including his hand, an airline ticket, or any object for which you need additional information, into a display surface.

(Until image recognition catches up, bar codes and RFID tags will most likely be an integral part of this scenario.)

To learn more about high-brightness (HB) LEDs and the impact they can have on future products and applications, consider attending  EDN’s LED Workshop, April 30^th in Santa Clara.