The Reading Room
I have set up the Reading Room to provide resources for those who would like to do further reading on a subject covered here at High Tech Tomorrow. I generally will not repeat links that were included in the blog. If you would like to recommend additional sites, links or resources, please feel to suggest a link in the comments below.
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Reality Capture and VRVirtual Reality Primer With an Emphasis on Camera-Captured VR by Philip Lelyveld of the USC Entertainment Technology Center, July 2015
Peter Diamandis on the disruptive quality of VR and AR September 2015 Peterdiamandis.tumblr.com Virtual reality is not filmmaking Justin Cone August 2015 This is an excellent article which makes an important distinction between the viewing of 360 film within a VR headset which is essentially passive for the viewer (except as to where they are looking) versus what many argue is a key virtue of true VR which is that interactivity between the explorer and the virtual world. The main point being that the former is an attempt to mash the old technology of film into the new medium of VR which necessarily underutilizes virtual reality's main gifts. Engineers unlock remarkable 3-D vision from ordinary digital camera technology Science News September 2015 Like the lightfield technology discussed below, there may be methods other than stereoscopy, photogrammetry and 3D meshes for recording 3D images. Duke researchers have described a new way to gather depth data using image stabilization sensors already found in cameras. Virtual production In this informative Youtube video, Autodesk representatives discuss recent innovations in and the future of virtual production in film making and the impact they expect from emerging technologies such as AR and VR, reality capture, laser scanning, photogrammetry, and game engines. August 2015 Light Field Capture I am intrigued by light field technology as a way to bring the physical world into our computers, but have to confess I don't yet understand all of its promise and limitations. Here is one discussion of the work Otoy is doing with light field capture. Still Life with Light Field: Explaining OTOY’s Light Field Technology and DIY Wormholes: Hands on with OTOY’s light field scanner Ryan Damm in Upload VR May 2015 LightField Definition: "The LightField is defined as all the lightrays at every point in space travelling in every direction. It is essentially 4D data, because every point in three-dimensional space is also attributed a direction (=the fourth dimension). The concept of the LightField was invented in the 1990s to solve common problems in computer graphics and vision." Taken from the LightField Forum Your news source for all things Light Field Note: not clear how often this site is updated. Description of how light field cameras determine depth information. Jeremyneiman.com/projects/lytro_report Medical Uses of VR and AR Personalized heart models for surgical planning; System can convert MRI scans into 3D-printed, physical models in a few hours. MIT News September 2015 This is an example of a new and important kind of reality capture, moving from an MRI, CT or PET scan to a 3D image that may be used by a surgeon pre- or peri-operatively. Input and Haptic feedback Devices for VR This Youtube video overview describes five new VR input and haptic feedback devices. Moving past rumble devices, Tactical Haptics has what it calls Reactive Grip which uses sliding contactor bars on the sides of the handle. They say these bars give the sense of weight of an object and a wrenching and twisting action as in holding a fishing pole. Dexta Robotics has developed a mechanical exoskeleton called Dexmo F2 that can provide force feedback (via a gear driven braking mechanism) for interaction with the VR environment. VR Interface Design and the Future of Hybrid Reality Leap Motion October 2015 This blog post and video has an excellent overview of some of the basic elements of VR interface mechanisms. |
3D Printing3D printing is a cool, futuristic concept that's not making a lot of money Mashable October 2015 This story describes the current reality of consumer grade 3D printing. It notes the recent layoffs at MakerBot but suggests that some see this as a similar adoption experience of early computers. I have additional thoughts about what is going on in this space, which I will share in an upcoming post.
The Battle for Low-Cost SLS Heats Up at Euromold with New Sintratec 3D Printer Model David Sher September 2015 The metal 3D printers (selective laser sintering) appear to be moving down the same price curve that ABS and PLA printers followed several years ago. A piece in the Simpler CAD puzzle. Deepomatic Grabs $1.4 Million For Its Deep Learning Visual Search Technology French startup Deepomatic has built a smart search engine that indexes and identifies objects in an image in order to compare them with a database of objects. I propose Deepomatic be combined with the following effort from MIT for the "take and tweak" approach I describe in Simpler CAD. MIT Makes it Much Easier for You to Tweak 3D Printing Designs MIT September 2015 Senvol Database. This database provides information on over 450 commercial additive manufacturing (3DP) machines and now includes hundreds of materials as well. Includes price estimate ranges where available. HP Multi Jet Fusion Technology This new approach to 3D printing claims up to 10x faster printing speeds and employs a fundamentally different approach to extrusion -- using wide thermal inkjet arrays which deliver fusing and other liquid agents using "HP's core competency of rapidly and accurately placing precise (and minute) quantities of multiple types of fluids." We have been waiting some time for this new approach and if it is as flexible as HP suggests (in terms of materials and color), it could be a game changer. |
The Business of Technology
This is an excellent read for anyone interested in the business of technology startups and what it takes to make them a success. Why I Fucking Hate Unicorns and the Culture They Breed September 2015
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