Russian startup projects and moves air projection images
updated 03:35 pm EST, Wed November 23, 2011
Offers finer detail detection than Kinect
A Russian startup has developed a technology that can project an image into thin air and then manipulate it with gestures. Astrakhan-based Displair has developed a prototype that projects images into a stream of cold fog and then uses an infrared camera to capture and manipulate gestures. The prototype in some ways mimics Microsoft Kinect's ability to process movement, but is able to do so at a much finer scale.
The Kinect is able to to analyze and process general body movements. The Displair is much more accurate. It can detect motion with accuracy of 0.4 inches, enabling it to detect and interpret hand movements. It's able to do so with only 0.2 seconds of lag between detection and processing. The Kinect, in comparison, has 0.1 second of lag.
The company believes it will be able to use the technology to produce 40 to 140-inch screens commercially at a cost of $4,000 to $30,000. Initial applications would be for the entertainment and advertising industries, although it could even be used for broader markets including medical applications such as psychotherapy.
Displair is currently looking for investors to help with production and a commercial launch. [via TechCrunch]
