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Alain Jocard/Getty Images A man explores the “holocubtile”, a 3D multitouch device, during the 12th edition of the Laval Virtual.
If you really want to see into the future, you might have to go to this year’s International Conference on Virtual Reality in Laval, France. The conference, in its 12th year, is dedicated solely to virtual technologies and virtual reality.
On display this year are a number of new bizarre robots that can be controlled virtually; you can see some examples of them, as well as of other gadgetry, in the promotional video from the conference, below. There are also several augmented reality tools, meant for advertising and teaching, and some futuristic surreal experiences that remind me of scenes from Star Trek’s holodeck.
Some of the virtual reality demos are very pie-in-the-sky and probably won’t see the real world for some years to come; others are just a few years away.
One gadget that particularly stands out is the “holocubtile,” a 3-D multitouch device, designed and developed by the French touch company Immersion. The cube, above, is a complete multitouch box that allows people to manipulate a projected 3-D object by sliding their hands across different sides of the cube. Users can pan and zoom, enlarge and twist, all by touching the five sides of the device.
Although a big draw for a device like this would be in-store marketing, it could also be extremely useful in schools, allowing students to navigate far-away places and objects in a fun and interactive way.
Here’s the video:
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