Imaginality Unleashed combines 3D modeling with 2D paper

When we muck around with 3D-type stuff, it's usually limited to late-night sessions on Google Earth. But apparently these model simulations can get a little bit more interactive, if people start using Mindspace Solutions' latest release: "Imaginality Unleashed." Apparently after you print out the company's "paddles" -- which from what we can tell are just pieces of paper with various geometric shapes on them -- a USB webcam is able to identify the unique markers, and the interactive fun begins. (This is no "floating visual" display," mind you, but is probably a heckuva lot cheaper.) But beyond that, we're not really sure how this whole getup actually works. However, if you find yourself with more time than you know what to do with during your holiday vacation, you can check out their "Christmas Mirror module" that allows you to "become Santa, a reindeer or a snowman" and the "3D Multiplication module." The first one sorta makes sense, but we've got zero idea what that latter option is all about.

[Eddie @ Dec 23rd 2006 6:40PM]

And the point of this is...?

And is that Jupiter in the picture? What the hell is that other thing?

[Bernardo @ Dec 24th 2006 9:00AM]

That other thing is called earth...
Maybe if you'd have a little interest in the rest of the world,
you could see that the center point in the picture is AFRICA

[Neebs @ Dec 23rd 2006 6:41PM]

Man, it's one hell of a slow news day.

[Vortex @ Dec 23rd 2006 6:59PM]

I have worked with such systems in the lab. Depending on the system used, they might look different, but, basically, one can use various image processing techniques to extract the position and orientation of each marker relative to the camera.

These "fiducial markers," as they are sometimes called, usually have high-contrast borders to distinguish them from most other objects. Inside is a unique symbol or pattern that is asymmetrical enough to enable the camera to distinguish its angle in its plane. I have not looked up the math, but all you need is the initial calibration process and enough processing power to do this in real time.

Please see the following link for some videos that I took of software I built using such a system. You might not have the codec, so you have my apologies ahead of time if this is the case.

http://mindlab.msu.edu:16080/lsj/ (The rest of the website it outdated; see http://mindlab.org/ for the current site of the lab.)

[StevO @ Dec 24th 2006 12:24AM]

i saw this at some demonstrated at some trade show
TGS? E3? the german one?

anyways i think the "Christmas Mirror module" is some sort of paper you wear that lets the software calculate where your face is, and replace it with a 3D santa head or something

[Erik Walthinsen @ Dec 24th 2006 12:41AM]

Three of these systems were are currently in use at the Star Wars exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland OR. Each tile represented a building or other feature of one of the three environments you were supposed to try to build. I played around with the Tatooine sim, where you have to place evaporators and repair droids in order to maximize water production.

The system worked OK as long as you kept the tiles near the center, which didn't actually work for the sim itself. The camera quality and lighting were low, and the camera angle was far too flat to work properly. It still is a pretty neat trick though.

[Lars Knudsen @ Dec 24th 2006 6:43AM]

in the beginning of 1999 (yes.... 1999... soon to be 8 years ago) I bought a SONY VAIO PictureBook that has this tech (or similar). When holding special "Code cards" (2d barcode) in front of the camera, 3d models would appear in live video ON the card (tilting, twisting, standing ... ON the card). I remember there was even a race track where 2 cars would "compete"... and one with a small girl speaking out things in japanese. There was no significantly visible delay (they propably used some DSP in the vaio... who knows).

Please tell me how this tech differs ... (not being sarchastic.... I actually would like to know)

[Taylor @ Dec 24th 2006 6:50AM]

I downloaded this to check it out.

What you do is you download the program, and then it gives you the option of either a PDF file with the paddles or you can buy foam ones for 20 bucks.

Then you install "modules" which are programs that interpret the paddles in different ways. The Christmas module creates masks and Christmas-y props like gifts and candy canes. The masks work by putting them on your forehead, and the program generates the rest downward-like the Santa beard and hat, or Rudolph's nose.

The Multiplication Module basically creates rectangular prisms based on the paddle numbers.

And, the planet in that picture, the big one, is Earth. The little one is Mars I think?

[Obake @ Dec 24th 2006 7:54AM]

They have/had the same technology in the foyer of the Sony Building at Ginza, Tokyo Japan. I was there in June so don't know if it's still there or not. But it was used to show the floor plans of the building. IIRC each card showed a different floor of the building, and there was one card that showed the whole building. It had to be the coolest thing in the whole place as well. It was worth the trip just to use it :) I could rotate the cards and see 'behind' the back of the building, and I think it was animated as well.

[Eddie @ Dec 27th 2006 5:48AM]

Oh, I see it now. It looked like an organ or something the way i was looking at it. I guess it's not blue enough =X

[XSportSeeker @ Dec 24th 2006 12:11PM]

Augmented Reality, Fiducial Markers, etc.
A friend of mine presented a project on this subject this year for his graduation on Computer Science course.
The main application would be for educational purposes.
For instance, helping students visualize and interact with abstract stuff (planets, chemical molecules,etc).

Dunno about Mindspace's solution... but software my friend made generates graphics using XML coding. He used ARToolkit to detect fiducials, in case someone else is interested.

This could have applications in other areas... gaming, online stores, showcases, etc...

o/

[mikel miranda @ Dec 25th 2006 2:31PM]

This was used at a Star Wars expo at a OMSI. You would put down the cards and they would turn into things like moisture farms and sand crawlers. It was some kind of a game trying to be like civilization. I thought it was pretty cool but there was a time limit to play it and lots of people in line to try it out, so i didn't get to try it again.

[Isaac @ Dec 27th 2006 11:05AM]

Combined with a decent pair of 3D goggles, I'll bet it could be made into a really sweet 3D, interactive version of Magic: The Gathering... where you see an ever-changing landscape between you and your opponent on the table, and every time you put a card into play, there's a visual spell effect, or creature appearing, or the landscape changes (if you add land for instance), or something like that. I'm sure if a webcam can be used to ID specific markers like those cards, they can be modified to see more complex cards, at least eventually.

Of course, that's all fantasy, since there's no such thing as a "decent pair of 3D goggles."... There'll probably be Ghost In The Shell-style cyber/ocular implants before anyone ever makes a decent set...