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!'"

Comments

Has Potential

[TaintedPastry]

Porn jokes aside...

...this could develop into a wonderful device for the physically disabled geeks out there.

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 :-\ .

Re:you know what else works

[WormholeFiend]

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.

Do you still need the clay?

[192939495969798999]

"...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.