Pioneer develops input device for 3D drawing

Pioneer has just announced a promising new technology that may one day allow designers to "draw" in 3D space and have the results displayed on-screen. Basically an LCD display framed by a spatial sensor and a 3D camera, the Pioneer device allows users to move their fingers around the "box" created by the frame, where proprietary software takes over and translates the movements into displayed artwork. Right now a prototype of this device only allows users to manipulate the third dimension up to a maximum depth of several inches, but we can see future iterations of this becoming quite useful tools someday, allowing designers to easily create 3D mockups that can be sent directly to a fab lab. Or something like that.

[Via Akihabara]

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Two words: Minority Report.

[Wurx @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

One Word: prOn

[Steven @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

three syllables: cybersex

[z is for zigma @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

^ The 3 Stooges ^

[dan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

i think it'd be sort of neat to be able to draw in 3d, and then have it displayed on one of those 3d-displaying monitors, sort of like from http://www.actuality-systems.com/

[happy gilmore @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

zigma & the three stooges:
that was the funniest thing i've seen on engadget in quite some time. thanks for the laughs!!!

[Gil @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Where's the link to the systems those students made that works with a laser? That one is much more advanced

[topher @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

There is also the Body Language User Interface (BLUI) http://blui.org/. It was developed at the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center, in Alaska and it is used to draw in 3D space using a wireless wand. After creating the drawings they can also be "printed" using a 3D printer.

[Cashmore @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

"allowing designers to easily create 3D mockups that can be sent directly to a fab lab"

Once you connect this us to a fablab, it's going to be amazingly powerful, and it's not just 1st world countries that will benefit.

[Psyop-er @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

"but we can see future iterations of this becoming quite useful tools someday, allowing designers to easily create 3D mockups that can be sent directly to a fab lab. Or something like that."

Designers can already do this sort of thing now. This is just another gimmicky interface, it's not going to revolutionize design, or 3D.

A mouse and keyboard work just fine thank you.