Microsoft Foresees AR Tracking Your Keys, Milk, Entire Life (cnet.com) 84
Want a virtual assistant that means you won't lose anything ever again? A patent application filed by Microsoft hints at that future. From a report on CNET: The technology described in the patent filing, published Thursday, would bring sophisticated, automatic object tracking to augmented reality. A cousin of VR, which creates an entirely digital experience, augmented (or mixed) reality blends the real and virtual worlds into a seamless experience -- think Pokemon Go. One of the challenges for more advanced augmented reality is that a system would need to track not only you as a user, but also the other objects in your environment. Microsoft's patent document suggests a technology that would do just that. The new tech would fit neatly with Microsoft's own HoloLens augmented reality platform. As AR becomes more common, it could lead to a future in which you can ask Cortana (or Siri or Alexa) where you left your shoes or if you're out of eggs.
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It's getting less and less power-hungry to do that.
Also, consider you only need to track the hands, to get a very useful answer.
If you're the only one at home, then 'when did I last touch x' is equivalent to 'where is X'
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If you're the only one at home, then 'when did I last touch x' is equivalent to 'where is X'
That's assuming that the system can correlate 'x' and 'X'. That's probably the hardest part. It doesn't seem like a huge hurdle to figure out, "I put something down." Figuring out, "I put down keys," seems tougher.
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"That's assuming that the system can correlate 'x' and 'X'"
Indeed, not all that easy.
But probably doable -- given a couple of decades of R&D and a lot a often hilarious real-world testing. And there will probably be some real, viable, applications of the technology. But overall it looks like the company that gave us Bob and Clippy is setting up to annoy the bejessus out of us again.
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A good idea most likely. Offhand, I would think that things like keys and shoes have to be recognized by their optical or auditory or something signature. But signatures for real world objects (other than ping pong balls and the like) are tricky because they differ with the viewing angle. Identification tags designed to have recognizable signatures no matter where they are viewed from might help a lot. (Not that I actually know squat about object recognition).
It already does this... (Score:2)
If you're the only one at home, then 'when did I last touch x' is equivalent to 'where is X'
That's assuming that the system can correlate 'x' and 'X'. That's probably the hardest part. It doesn't seem like a huge hurdle to figure out, "I put something down." Figuring out, "I put down keys," seems tougher.
Not only is that the hardest part, it's the only part that Microsoft isn't necessarily already doing in public. Hololens keeps track of AR objects you create--so if you create something virtual, put it on the counter, and come back an hour later, the thing is still on the counter. It's already keeping track of where certain objects are. It's the recognizing and classifying important real-world items part of the system that would be the only part not already on the market.
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I agree this could probably only work if significant processing was offloaded to a device plugged into a wall socket and/or cloud services. I find it hard to believe a headset, or eventually just modified glasses, could do all of this for extended periods without running out of battery.
Schizophrenia (Score:1)
AR without the cost.
Alexa, Where is my job. (Score:1)
I have to type some words here.
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It went to someone who doesn't waste their time posting on Slashdot when they should be working.
- Alexa
Time to unplug (Score:2)
It will be the next hip thing, like vinyl, Moleskin notebooks and analog film.
Safer too.
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The "Internet of Things" is a whole new ball of wax, especially in consumer-land where devices are not single-taskers. Bad enough that a commercial EMS controller on an HVAC system
The correct spelling of "seamless" (Score:2)
The last time that I heard seamless used correctly
...the project designer, in a rare moment of 20/20 hindsight, remarked to his PHB ...the details seemed less problematic, at the time.
Think Pokemon Go that doesn't run on Windows Phone (Score:2)
... or Windows Mobile or just Windows how they like to call it nowadays (yea, go marketing department, go).
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I got to go to a security conference the other day, geared toward organizations that have both large networks and a fairly significant cloud presence. With the introduction of "cloud services" and the ability for cloud services to tie to third-party web-delivered software/sites and to each other, and the ability for one's roaming users to reach company-subscribed cloud services without ever using the corporate LAN, the number of vectors for attack to an organization's data has literally incr
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So, would you use borg tecnology without thinking twice?
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I don't understand how Star Track Borg technology would benefit anyone. I'm not aware of anyone who needs giant salt and pepper shakers that glide around telling about exterminating stuff. You're the expert on Star Track, though, so maybe there's something I'm missing about the Borg.
Did you just mix up the daleks from Doctor Who with the borg from Star Trek???? And you misspelled "Star Trek" twice?
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Don't feed the trolls...
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Lots of people liked the Mad Max films. It doesn't mean they want to live in a post-apocalypse world where people are constantly killing each other.
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This system sounds a lot more like Virtual Interactive Kinesthetic Interface, or VIKI, from the film I, Robot, in the sense that it's using a central controller to attempt to do everything and the ability of that central controller to be used for ill is very much a concern. The fictional AI-takeover part is definitely the realm of science fiction, but t
A question and a little consideration (Score:1)
1) can someone weigh in on what kinds of image processing is out there now that we slashdotter's can get in on? I ask because of number 2 (cue The Prisoner reference)...
2) Just taking a moment to consider this...
I'd be more comfortable if this were open-source, but there's some neat uses for this idea. I've considered getting a hololens, if only to poke around with it, but the idea of AR seems much more useful in day-to-day life than VR at the moment.
It obviates the need for sensors in everything (keys, egg
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Sensors on everything is going to be impractical. There are too many end-products that can't really be tagged, especially natural products. Even if Dole stickers got made to have tags, they're not going to be able to integrate mass into those tags. It's necessary to figure out the answers to the pertinent questions without relying on se
Prior (OSS?) implementation (Score:2)
A few years back, I saw someone who didn't just patent (in fact didn't patent) but built a system like this on a Roomba. He(she?) added a camera and processor to the top of the Roomba, built software on OpenCV, and used his Roomba to record where he left his (a) keys and (b) Coke Can. I think that those were the limits of his(her?) image recognition (Coke Can and distinctive keychain)
I think it was posted on hackaday.com, but I cannot find it. Now that tech is better, it seems like this is approaching a
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Because only a women can find something in a refrigerator if it is not visible in the front of a shelf.
Different prediction (Score:3)
conversation (Score:5, Insightful)
Me: Hey Cortana (or Siri or Alexa), you are no longer needed on any of my systems. Could you please remove yourself and all traces of yourself?
Cortana (or Siri or Alexa): I cannot do that Dave.
Me: b.b.b.but, these are my systems, I want you off them.
Cortana (or Siri or Alexa): Read the fine print, Ace, I own your systems, now could you please remove yourself from my premises?
Why should you have to use your brain? (Score:2)
I'm making old spelling mistakes due to relying on autocorrect. Turned it off so I can rely on myself more, it's worth it for me to use my brain.
Re:Why should you have to use your brain? (Score:4, Interesting)
I loathe autocorrect. NO, you stupid machine, I did NOT mean that! If I meant that I would have typed it! I can't remember the last time autocorrect supplied what I meant, but I can remember lots of times it's changed stuff to something I didn't want.
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Patenting the obvious...with AR (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm no patent expert but from a quick glance the patent basically seems to describe 'using object tracking in AR', with the AR part supposedly making it unique. There's nothing in the patent about the technical measures used yet from a few examples and a picture they claim ownership of tracking any inanimate object and using that info in an AR environment.
Maybe I'm missing something that makes this a worthy patent.
The Microsoft future (Score:2)
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I be so stoopid (Score:5, Funny)
"it could lead to a future in which you can ask Cortana (or Siri or Alexa) where you left your shoes or if you're out of eggs."
This kind of super-invasive monitoring will be very attractive to police and divorce lawyers.
Janet: "Siri, whose bra is this?"
Siri: "Jennifer, my records show that the lacy black bra in your hand belongs to Alice Marie Simmons who was here at 3:52pm on January 9th while giving your husband a blowjob that lasted 7 minutes and 19 seconds. Afterwards they took a shower, using 28.5 gallons of water and 6.2 cubic feet of natural gas for heating. At 4:26pm they consumed the last two Hot Pockets and 16oz of milk. Would you like me to order some more Hot Pockets?"
People with disabilities (Score:2)
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That would on the other hand allow people with debilitating mental illness to be able to live independently a bit longer. If you got alzheimer, a long progressive mental illness, such assistant would be a boon.
Yep, I would agree with this, it could be very useful to a range of people. And I'm not saying it shouldn't be available, I'm just pointing out the possibilities of unintended consequences.
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I've been conteplating a move like this (Score:2)
Corporations dealing in the kind of tech regularly dismiss or accommodate law enforcement requests for any recorded\generated data. Rather than fearing the man, we need to work towards legislation that de
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"Alexa, where can I find a Philips head screwdriver?" and instead of directing you to the nearest hardware store, she directs you to a drawer or cabinet containing one.
Wrong. It will lie that you do not have one in the house and then then bombard you with adverts for local hardware stores.
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What about this: (Score:2)
husband: I have been late at work.
Alexa: Oh no, you had some beers at the pub, then you asked me where is the car key.
Or worst:
NSA agent: what is inside your iPhone ?
visitor: just phone numbers and pics of my family.
Alexa: Dave, you shouldn't say that...you evidently forgot about the secret map you encrypted into the pics. Remember ? You asked me the password yesterday...
Fuck this bullshit. (Score:1)
No one needs this shit. Ok, some people may WANT it, but some people are stupid. Actually, most people are stupid, and that is just the sad truth.
It is reminiscent of what has happened to cars in the past couple of decades. Cars are now filled with lots of stuff no one really needs, and this has driven the price of acquisition and the cost of repairs up considerably.
Really good designers know that simplicity is the ultimate in sophistication. In other words, they are done not when there is nothing left to A
AR WTF (Score:2)
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AR is Augmented Reality. It's been discussed here since before Uber was a thing. Uber no longer needs a description. AR therefore no longer needs to be spelled out each time.
Compellng reason absent (Score:2)
AR ala Hololens will fail while you need to put on clunky anything. There's a compelling reason to do so if you're playing a game, or using a work application, but for everyday use there is no compelling reason for this technology over the utility offered by your phone. Add the batman factor concerns and yet another thing needing a battery charge and you're into a product nobody wants and will fail.
VR has a compelling reason. The games are badass. But you're not going to wear it around. AR ala Hololens is b
1984 (Score:2)
Seriously, this sounds like a bonanza of surveillance data for government and law enforcement, who in many cases won't even need to provide a proper warrant, just categorize it as 'in the interests of National security' and the secret court signs off on it, Microsoft (or whoever) gets a National Security Letter, and voila, your entire life is splayed open to whatever three-letter go
Or you could, you know... (Score:2)
Or you could, you know, get a life.
Not MY keys! (Score:3)
Nor my milk, nor my "entire life". Not ever, unless I'm either imprisoned or forced to live in some Orwellian dystopia.
Why is society so hell-bent on extending childhood to the point where the average person never really grows up? The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised by an offer from a 'digital assistant' to help shake off the last drop.
The weakening of memory by offloading tasks. (Score:2)
Memory and intelligence are not synonymous, but are obviously closely linked. Years ago, after a talk I gave, the hosts gifted me with a plaque and a few items, the most useful of which was a book called Super Power Memory by the mentalist Harry Lorayne [wikipedia.org]. It was one of the most practical books I have ever read. It contains dozens of ways to effectively improve memory. I am no mentalist but the book taught me the importance of training and using my memory. The enormous computational and memory power available