Sony: we will teach you to look at the world with alien eyes

Jun Rekimoto, who explores the possibilities of augmented reality at Sony Computer Science Labs, uses cameras, drones and sensors to share what other people see and feel.

Yun Rekimoto predicts the future in which sports fans will be able to see the game through the eyes of the players themselves, feel their sensations on the playing field, without getting down from the home sofa.

The concept of "connectivity" (jacking in), popularized in the canonical novel by William Gibson's Neuromant (1984), has been roaming science fiction for three decades - Rekimoto has been trying to make this idea a little more real.
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Rekimoto, deputy director of research at Tokyo's Sony Computer Science Laboratories, outlined his research in this area, as part of the first scientific symposium held by a laboratory in the United States. The event was held last week in the New York Museum of Modern Art, where scientists discussed their work in the field of music, art and ... prosthetics. And this is only a small part of the scientific fields discussed during the symposium.

Yun Rekimoto is currently interested in augmented reality and decided to borrow ideas from Gibson’s novel and apply them to modern technologies: “I wanted to expand this concept, which implies the ability to connect to other people or drones to create the full effect of presence,” the researcher said interview.

Augmented reality technology has been around for years. But even the uninitiated may notice the rapid development of technologies that implement virtual reality - recall the Oculus Rift or Project Morpheus, which is oriented towards gaming virtuality, developed by Sony. Even Samsung, working with Oculus, plans to sell a virtual helmet that works in conjunction with the Galaxy Note 4 smartphone. These devices can completely change the way we watch movies, play games and communicate with each other.

“When you combine visual experience (in this way), it can lead to the creation of an absolute new way of communication,” says Brian Blau, an analyst in consumer technology, who works for research company Gartner. “To see something through the eyes of another person — I think this is a promising idea.”

Rekimoto is a patient person. Some of the ideas that he is working out are unlikely to be released on the market in the coming years. In one of the projects, he and his colleagues are developing a gadget called LiveSphere, which is worn on the user's head, includes six cameras and can capture a panoramic image of everything happening around its owner. According to Rekimoto, a LiveSphere user will be able to use outside help, for example, to gain new culinary skills or perform medical procedures. Athletes will be able to wear a similar device so that the viewer can see what is happening during the competition in a new way.

“The resulting image is impressive,” Recimoto describes the testing of a gadget by a gymnast rotating on a crossbar.

Rekimoto also said that researchers working for Sony are also working to implement tactile sensations in LiveSphere using a “tactile device” consisting of microdrives that are put on the user's fingers.

Another project of the Rekimoto laboratory is something called the Flying Head (Russian: “flying head”). Literally - the drone, repeating the movement of the user's head. This technology can be, for example, used to assess athletes of their sports skills during training. Another option - connecting to a personal drone can simplify the management of the drone in areas dangerous for the direct stay of people.

“I think that even more important or promising application (of such technology) can be expanding the user's perception at the expense of other people's perception,” Rekimoto shares his ideas. “This could lead to the emergence of a whole industry where the abilities of one person are transferred to another.”

The original article on the projects of Yun Rekimoto is here .