Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Surface computi

Microsoft is searching to extend its surface-computing work into the spatial-computing arena having a new investigation undertaking recognized as LightSpace.Andy Wilson, a Microsoft investigation who was crucial in bringing the Microsoft Surface tabletop to market, is one of the principals behind LightSpace. Wilson as well as other researchers are set to show the new venture the week of October 3 at the ACM Symposium on Consumer Interface Software program and Technologies in Ny Town. (Microsoft showed off LightSpace internally at its TechFest analysis honest on campus in March.)LightSpace utilizes multiple depth cameras and projectors to allow consumers to transfer objects among touch surfaces. The cameras ensure it is seem that end users are carrying projected objects within their hands after which “dropping” them onto walls, where they can be manipulated using multitouch gestures similar to those used with the Microsoft Surface tabletop.There is a connection between LightSpace and Microsoft;s Kinect game-sensor technology. Microsoft researchers envision Kinect helping to make depth cameras cheaper and more popular. According to a newly published whitepaper on LightSpace:“Depth cameras (such as those from PrimeSense1, 3DV, and Canesta) are able to directly sense range to the nearest physical surface at each pixel location. They are unique in that they enable inexpensive real time 3D modeling of surface geometry, making some traditionally difficult computer vision problems easier. For example, having a depth camera it is trivial to composite a false background in a video conferencing application. Microsoft’s Kinect device builds on PrimeSense technology and computes a skeletal model of a player for motion-driven gaming. While such cameras are now rare, the release of Kinect is likely to make depth cameras inexpensive and widely available.”LightSpace attempts to further the notion that “the room is the computer.” (So much for “the network is the computer.”) It also points to a future where all physical surfaces become interactive displays — including the user;s body.Microsoft has been looking for ways to extend its Surface technology. A couple of years ago,Microsoft Office 2007 Professional, Microsoft researchers showed off a spherical Suface. In 2009, they demonstrated another Surface spinoff known as “SecondLight,” a rear projection-vision surface technologies that allowed consumers to project through and beyond the display. (By the way, for you codename hounds, the Bing Maps on Silverlight task at Microsoft happened to be codenamed “FirstLight.”)(Thanks to Microsoft Student Partner Pradeep for the pointer to the LightSpace page.)