In what appears to be the general consensus among many science fiction fans, the creative team behind the film Minority Report had it right when it came to their vision of user interfaces of the future.
Right now, touch screen, gestures and large touch displays are the way to go. Microsoft, Sony and other major companies are also developing camera aided user controls (which track either your hands or ‘tagged objects’ in order to interact and manipulate digital data. There is also great interest in 3D technology for the visual output as well as integrations of augmented reality and projection displays.
Of course, a system as large (and as cumbersome) as the fictional computer used in the movie will not be how things will come out. Tech experts already know that using such a large gesture controlled system will eventually be tiring on the arms of any user (thus the gorilla arm syndrome). The gestures used in the movie also use too much movement and will be tiring as well.
Instead, tomorrows’ technology will make use of streamlined movements and gestures that are not complicated. Microsoft’s project Natal and the Sony Playstation Move has shown that cameras can accurately track objects in terms of direction, distance and even projected movement speeds.
The gloves worn in the movie are also quite feasible for camera tracked user input, with the glowing tips and the fictional mechanisms that probably send real time motion data (just like the Nintendo Wiimote or the Sony Six Axis Controller).
In terms of display, the projected transparent screens in the movie are pretty farfetched, considering that 3D hologram technology can only project huge chunks of pixels. Though it is possible that displays can be projected on thin see through surfaces that are touch sensitive.
Read more about the technology of today and the Minority Report movie at the Guardian UK.
Tags: Microsoft, Minority-report, Sony, toiuchscreens