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Interactive Technologies in Pittsburgh
Interactive technologies are becoming more and more a part of our culture. Simply put, interactive technology allows the user to experience technology in deeper, more engaging ways. Devices and software can respond to actions put forth by the user, allowing for a give and take between device and human. Pittsburgh interactive technology in particular is making major contributions to the field.
How Pittsburgh is Getting in on the Game
Focused on helping the world interact with and respond to technology, Disney Research in Pittsburgh is one of six labs throughout its network, encouraging exploration of the playful side of technology. The goal is to make the environment around us become living and active, according to scientists at Disney Research speaking to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Interaction Group as part of this project aims to enhance the physical world through the use of interactive technology, adding rich layers to the environment.
Up and Coming Innovations
Ishin-Den-Shin is one such innovation, using the human body as the interface. Users speak into a microphone, creating a high-voltage, low-current electrostatic field around the body. Then that electrostatic field transmits the message to whatever the user rubs. A chain of people can even transmit a signal through their bodies by holding hands with the last person making the message audible by touching another’s ear. The idea of creating sound by touching someone’s ear was unthinkable just a few years ago.
What about being able to feel 3D images on a touchscreen? That’s possible, too, thanks to another technology that boasts an algorithm allowing you to “feel” virtual bumps through the use of electrovibration. Another invention, called AIREAL, allows the user to feel objects against the skin without even having to touch anything or wear special equipment. Through different applications, you can feel a butterfly’s wings on your skin, or deflect a soccer ball with your palms through a video game. Not everything is super high tech, though, as evidenced by what the scientists call the paper generator, something that people can even make at home, comprised of conductive layers and electrical currents to produce interactive print materials.
The Goal of New Interactive Technology
Although the applications may be different, the end goal is always the same when it comes to interactive technology: to create an interactive, mutable environment that people can manipulate and respond to intuitively. These technologies can enhance experience and provide more meaningful interactions with technology and the world around us. As a center of technology and robotics, Pittsburgh interactive technology still has a lot to contribute to the field.
Source: http://www.techburgher.com/events/interactive-technologies-pittsburgh/
