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Sculpting Interface Prototype
uw_dwarf writes "Now you can play with Play-Doh and your computer at the same time. Folks at the State University of New York at Buffalo have demonstrated another tactile interface to the computer: a glove with a sensor to determine pressure and direction in 3-space as the user works with a nice malleable substance. I'm torn between 'cool!' and 'scary!'"
Certain hand/arm disformaties or Nuerological Degeneration diseases can have their affect on the use a of a PC nullified with proper application of this tool (as opposed to attention/finger dexterity demanding keyboards and mice).
Unfortunately, I doubt the funding is out there to adopt this technology to disabled persons uses, much less actually get it to them :-\ .
yea but suppose you cant be bothered to reproduce, triangle by triangle, a 3D structure on-screen with your mouse... just rub it all over with your gloved fingers and it's done.
"...virtual block of clay -- possessing characteristics mimicking the physical properties of the clay -- is shaped precisely to the contouring of the actual clay."
The actual clay... meaning you still have to have clay? That's all well and good, but the biggest problem to working with clay and getting the shape onto the computer is getting clay all over your $K's worth of interface devices. I'd like to see the force feedback go into the glove, so I can just "model" virtual clay, sans real clay.
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You know, it sounds like they're going to make a fortune selling the clay. Heck...they could probably give the gloves and software away for free.
After all, once their preformulated clay gets impurities from use, it's characteristics are going to be less and less like those of the clay the software is simulating.
Over time, your model on screen is going to appear less and less like the stuff you've been working on with your hands.
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Patents on User Interfaces should not be allowed. The field of User Interfaces requires absolute freedom of innovation. I strongly condemn the government for sanctioning impediments to innovation and to the absolute freedom of use in all areas of User Interfaces.