During
the Surface workout Isobel demonstrated the magic of Microsoft Surface. The
one feature of Microsoft
Surface that Bel didn’t touch on was object recognition. Yet object recognition is one of the features
of Microsoft
Surface that really excites me. The five cameras inside the unit can
recognise objects placed on the surface based on shapes or special codes such
as domino tags. Recognising an object
can trigger a specific digital response.
The
Tesco Wine application recently showcased at the Tesco London and Bristol Wine
Club Fair events demonstrates object recognition. The wine coaster is tagged so the enthusiasts
can immerse themselves by having direct control of data such as winemaker’s notes,
suggested food pairings, information on the vineyard etc The table turns
from a bar in to a rich immersive experience where the enthusiasts can explore
content though touch and natural gestures.
Bel
was more interested in playing with photos of her favourite Cbeebies characters
than discovering the vinification process for a New Zealand Syrah so I left her to
it. However, object recognition lends
itself so well to child development. Children
learn through sight, sound, smell, taste and touch and it’s important to
encourage sensory activities. Sensory
play aids sensory development. Without object recognition Microsoft Surface falls
short of a full sensory experience. But by blending virtual and real worlds we
can create a sensory environment.
Imagine
an educational game where Isobel is asked to select a fruit beginning with the
letter 'A'. With
previous technologies we would immediately think of a virtual fruit bowl where
the user clicks on the correct fruit.
With Microsoft
Surface Bel could move or spin the apple using natural gestures but this still
isn’t going to stimulate her sense of touch as Surface cannot register textures,
temperature etc.
But
what if Bel picked up a ‘real’ apple from a fruit bowl and by placing the apple
on the surface the camera recognises it
and unlocks rich educational content such as a video of how apples grow or an
animation showing the nutritional value of apples.
Sensory
deprivation is an ailment of the advancement of technology. Children need a balanced multi-sensory diet yet
technology can be guilty of neglecting the senses. This simplistic example
illustrates how object recognition can blend the rich digital content with real
physical objects to allow technology to enhance a sensory environment.
Microsoft
isn’t the only one developing multi-touch tables. I am excited about SmartTechs SMART
Table as it offers great educational opportunities and SMART technologies are
specifically targeting school children and classrooms. This multi-touch table is scheduled for launch
in Spring 2009 so it will be interesting to see how it stands up against
Microsoft Surface. The unit is reported
to cost around $3,500 less than Microsoft Surface, and will come with a
complete suite of educational software.
Their Media Release introduces the features of the SMART
table. The one feature missing from this interactive table is object recognition. However the far cheaper entry
price makes it more affordable for cash-strapped schools. Hopefully SMART Technologies will develop
object recognition to really unleash the potential and help define a new
era of interactive learning centres.