Looking for a way to dress up your dining table, but don’t want to go with an ordinary candleholder? These unique candleholders are definitely conversation starters, since you’ll have a hard time figuring out if they’re 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional.
Flatlights look like the 3D wireframe perspective of a candle when viewed from above, but lay completely flat on your table.
Each Flatlight is made from a 0.4mm thick sheet of brass, which is photochemically etched to create the openings. This creates a more durable object than one created on a 3D printer, and also reduces sharp edges compared to laser cutting.
Early buyers can get a single Flatlight for £12(~$19 USD) each or £21(~$32 USD) for a pair. For a few dollars more, they’re also available with black on one side and white on the other, or in a 24K gold-plated finish which looks pretty spiffy.
If you’re interested in getting some Flatlights for your table, head on over to Kickstarter and make your pledge before November 9th.
We realize how important it is to stay on top of our dental hygiene on a daily basis as having a mouth full of rotting teeth will probably won’t be a great look for us. The problem is the amount of time it takes to brush and floss our teeth as well as the fact that we probably miss a few spots here and there without even realizing it. That won’t be a problem any more now that the Blizzident toothbrush has been invented.
New videogame systems all have one weakness: there are barely any games that come out at the same time as the hardware. The PS Vita and the Wii U are the most recent victims of this dilemma. Even though the Oculus Rift is a head-mounted display and not a console, it’s so different from other monitors that it’s going to have the same problem. But not if VorpX can help it.
The VorpX stereoscopic 3D driver converts Windows games that make use of DirectX 9, 10 and 11 so that they’ll be compatible with the Oculus Rift. It currently works with 90 games, including Bioshock Infinite, Fallout 3 and Mirror’s Edge, all of which you’ll see in the demo below. You can read the full list of compatible games here.
Aside from converting games, the driver also has a number of features to make it easier to play today’s games with the next-generation display. Users can make a virtual keyboard pop up on the screen, which I assume they can then operate with a mouse, negating the need to see the keyboard that they’re using. Users can customize the virtual keyboard as they see fit. VorpX also has a feature called Edge Peek. Activated by pressing the mouse scroll wheel, Edge Peek lets you look at the edge of the screen.
Edge Peek may not be needed in future Oculus Rift-ready games, but it might be a requirement for games from the current generation or earlier. That’s because the headset crops what you’d normally see on a traditional display, which means anything that’s on the far edges of the screen won’t be visible. But many games place critical information like radar or items on the edges of the screen, hence the need for Edge Peek. It’s not an optimal solution, but it’s better than nothing. Another feature related to Edge Peek is the option to zoom out the view, which should come in handy for viewing cinematics.
VorpX also supports two 3D modes, one of which results in better graphics but is more resource-intensive than the other option.
The driver is currently in beta, but VorpX is already charging for it. If you want to take the plunge, head to Road to VR to order the software; $40 (USD) gets you two licenses. Check out Road to VR’s article to find out more about the driver.
We’ve seen the memorable ending scene of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope recreated with LEGO and in Minecraft, but YouTuber Boone Calhoun is working on a way to not just recreate but to experience the scene through Luke’s point of view as well: a 3D videogame version that’s meant to be played using the Oculus Rift.
Boone hasn’t released the game yet, but if you have the Oculus Rift you can check out how it will look in the video below:
I wonder if Desert Bus will be more fun or more excruciating with the Oculus Rift.
If you thought the Kinect was a brilliant step forward in 3D sensing and you were enthralled by the possibilities of hand gestures with the Leap Motion, then you might be interested in what the iMotion 3D motion controller has to offer. A small rounded rectangular device that fits onto your hand like a glove, the iMotion is composed of accelerometers, gyroscopes and three LED sensors that will communicate with any standard web cam to locate your body in 3D space. There’s no special sauce to it either; as long as you have the iMotion software on your computer, you’re able to use the controller with pretty much any application. However, iMotion does plan on releasing an SDK so that developers can fine-tune their app or game to enable additional features of the iMotion, such as better precision and haptic feedback.
The technology was initially developed a few years ago by Intellect Motion, a company based out of Singapore, for medical purposes like sports rehabilitation. A year ago however, it started to delve into the gaming side of things and came up with the prototype device you see above. Now the company is ready to move on to the next stage, and that’s to launch the device on Kickstarter and get the iMotion out to the public. Join us after the break to get our early hands-on impressions, a video of it in action and more details of the Kickstarter campaign.%Gallery-slideshow99474%
Feeling left out because your internet provider isn’t on board with Netflix’s Open Connect program that provides access to its Super HD high-bitrate 1080p streams? Let that feeling of abandonment go, as the company has announced all of its customers (with compatible players) now have access to the higher quality video (and, in the US, 3D). According to Netflix the move is based on a combination of performance data and member requests, although we’ll consider ourselves unofficial beta testers after a glitch temporarily switched it on for all providers back in August. Netflix is going to keep pushing its Open Connect platform, and reminds users that actually getting the video streams with less compression depends on the network connection available. Let us know if you’re seeing a few new shades and sharper edges in OITNB, or if things have stayed pretty much the same.
We’ve seen 3D printers produce some pretty amazing things, but nothing quite like this. Tim Zaman, a Dutch researcher, has reportedly developed a 3D duplication technique capable of capturing incredible detail, such as brush strokes and other textures on a painting. With a captured image on hand, it’s then possible to print a reproduction matching every detail, including raised brush strokes. Reproductions are created using an Oce printer that can reproduce large-format paintings at 600 ppi; the process resembles that of a dye-sub printer, with the printing head moving back and forth many times, adding a new textured layer with each pass. It’s a very cool idea, but don’t expect to fill your home with flawless duplicates — you’ll first need to get your hands on a priceless piece of art.
This week the team at Bot & Dolly – a group that works with 3D objects and video to experiment with art and live performance – have created a new experiment with live projection on moving objects. This project is known as “Box”, and works with projection-mapping – projecting images on to spots that are […]
Remember Bot & Dolly’s awesome Kinetisphere from Google I/O 2012? Today the San Francisco-based design and engineering studio released Box, a film of the first ever synchronized live performance featuring projected 3D computer graphics, robots and actors. Imagine two Kuka industrial robots moving walls around and a projector displaying CG onto them in complete sync. Add a second projector aimed at the floor. Now introduce an actor and capture the entire scene with a 4K camera mounted on a third Kuka robot in sync with the other two. The result is a mind-blowing experience that takes CG into the real world. Flat walls transform in to 3D cubes, objects levitate and teleport — it’s magic.
In fact, it’s even more impressive in person. The company believes that “this methodology has tremendous potential to radically transform theatrical presentations”. We briefly talked with Tarik Abdel-Gawad, Creative & Technical Director and Bradley G Munkowitz, Design Director (of Tron fame) about the technology behind the performance. The project uses two IRIS and one SCOUT robotic motion control platforms (based on Kuka robots) plus two powerful high-resolution projectors. Bot & Dolly’s in-house software, which integrates with Autodesk‘s Maya, is used to synchronize and control the performance. As such, the work serves “as both an artistic statement and technical demonstration.” See the video for yourself after the break.
There are more custom versions of Monopoly out there than properties in the game, but this could be the definitive version to snatch up if you’re not a stickler for the classic board. Designed and illustrated by artist Charles Fazzino, a long time resident and champion of the Big Apple, this 3D edition of the game pays homage to the sights, streets, and structures found in and around Manhattan.
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