I want this: a thimble that turns everything it touches into a touch-sensitive screen, so you can use quick gestures to make things happen. Imagine going around the world, moving your finger like a magic wand, making things happen. You know, like Minority Report wave-in-the-air thimbles, but touch-based. More »
By combining a camera that detects surfaces with one that perceives motion, Canadian university researchers and Autodesk have made a sensor that reads finger gestures based on which part of your body you swipe. The first camera can detect pre-programmed materials like clothing, which would allow finger movements made across your pants or or shirt to activate commands that call specific people or compose an email, for instance. Autodesk sees this type of input as a possible compliment to smartphones or Google Glasses (which lack a useful input device), though it says the motion detection camera isn’t accurate enough yet to replace a mouse. Anyway, if you wanted that kind of device for your digits, it already exists — in spades.
Filed under: Displays, Wearables
Autodesk researchers develop ‘magic finger’ that reads gestures from any surface (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Got some great smartphone game ideas and Flash talent, but no budget and little to no programming savvy? Autodesk’s Scaleform for Mobile Platforms could let you launch those ideas from a catapult, cannon or any game weapon of your choice — all you’ll need is Adobe creation tools and $299. That’s the price per platform (iOS, Android or Windows 8,) giving you tools to convert your Flash assets and animations into a full blown Unity game, as well as the engine necessary for the mobile OS. That would let your creation take full advantage of the latest smartphone graphics and multi-processing capabilities, giving users smoother play and sharper looking games — according to the company. The software is heavily based on the console and PC versions of Scaleform, optimized for the small devices and costing thousands less. So, if you think you’ve got the mad Flash skillz to create the next Infinity Blade, check the PR and video after the break to see how to power up.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablet PCs, Software
Autodesk Scaleform lets you use Flash to build high-end portable device games for $299 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
After three decades on the market, Autodesk’s software has radically transformed modern architecture, science, and art. In downtown San Francisco, Autodesk exhibits a rotating 20-item gallery showing twenty of its most impressive design feats. On a recent tour, Gizmodo saw the stunning range of the program’s capabilities. Engineers use it to plan the most the world’s major buildings, and scientists use it to make scale models of molecules. For an artist, it’s a way to finally design a giant dinosaur made of LEGO. More »
What you see here is arguably be the coolest thing on display at Google I/O 2012 — an 8-foot, 300-pound Nexus Q replica (complete with LED ring visualizer) mounted on a robot arm. This interactive installation called Kinetisphere was designed and fabricated by San Francisco-based Bot & Dolly and is controlled by three stations each consisting of — wait for it — a Nexus Q device and a Nexus 7 tablet. How meta is that? One station controls the height of the sphere, another its angle, and a third lets you pick the pattern displayed on the LED ring. Of course, it’s all carefully synchronized to music for maximum effect.
We spent a few minutes talking with Jeff Linnell of Bot & Dolly about what went into the making of Kinetisphere. As it turns out, there’s a lot more to the installation than a Kuka industrial robot, fiberglass, plywood and steel railing. In addition to using the Nexus Q and Nexus 7, the company combined its expertise in motion control and automation with Google’s Android ADK 2012, Autodesk‘s Maya and even Linux. Take a look at our gallery below then hit the break for our video interview and a lovely behind-the-scenes clip.
Gallery: Kinetisphere at Google I/O 2012
Visualized: Kinetisphere takes Nexus Q into another dimension at Google I/O 2012 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
