In last month TED conference, Pattie Maes’ from MIT & Pranav Mistry demonstrated a wearable device. It’s a wearable device with a projector paves the way for interaction with our environment. The device which they call “Sixth Sense” enables new interactions between the real world and the world of data. A very exciting idea which opens up boundless possibilities if lives up to its claim.
One of the uses of this device they show is a live video (latest on the relevant headlines) being projected in the newspaper in your hands. When I saw this, I was reminded of a old Tamil movie – Pattanathil Bhootham (released in 1967). In the movie there is a scene where the “Genie” shows (then) latest movie songs on top of the movie’s advertisements that is in the newspaper.
Pattanathil Bhootham (1967) showing live video on a NewsPaper
What was a dream and thought super-natural 40 years ago is now a reality. Exciting to look forward to the reality of the coming decades.
Update Sep/2017: I noticed the below clip from Mayabazaar (1957), a black and white classic film that recently got digital mastered and coloured showing off a magical box that opens to become a remote display and video chat screen; amazing creativity back then.
Mayabazaar (1957) showing a laptop display and video chat
Reference links:
1.The clip from Pattanathil Bhootham (பட்டணத்தில் பூதம்) Tamil Movie released in 1967, showing the idea of videos being projected on a newspaper
2.Full movie Pattanathil Bhootham (பட்டணத்தில் பூதம்), free and legal from Rajshri.com
3.Sixth Sense demo by Pranav Mistry (forward to the minute 6:30 for the newspaper demo)
I saw this ted talk. Interesting.
Its funny how the movies in India look little ahead of time, if I can say :)
I mean – think of Rajani having 1 bullet, 1 knife and 2 people to shoot at.
He will shoot in the direction of people standing, throw a knife in that direction which will divide the bullet into 2 and thus 2 people get shot.
It is weird. And, we will laugh at it.
But if Keanu Reeves (of Matrix) does it, we might say "wow…."
The same goes for this technology.
On a lighter note, I guess, we should patent these idea before it is implemented (making it difficult for West to create a product out of it).