This concept video by San Francisco design house Aatma Studios starts off pretty well: they envision future iPhones and iPads using a combination of a built-in pico projector and IR sensors to project a light-based keyboard on a flat surface. Just type on that projected keyboard as you would on any other and the iPhone will register your keystrokes.
So far, so good. I remember about ten years ago when I first bought a PDA thinking that just such a system would probably be the way these hiptop computers handled text entry in the future. This is plausible, especially considering Apple’s recent moves in the pico space.
Then it just gets kind of sci-fi stupid, though. Aatma takes the concept one step too far and imagines an iPhone that can actually project two-dimensional holograms in mid-air, no screen or surface necessary. Uh, yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not how projectors work. Still pretty cool, though.
[via 9to5Mac]
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
34 responses to “Here’s How Apple Could Use Pico Projectors And Sensors To Give iPhone 5 Holographic Keyboard [Concept Video]”
So, bigger surface are and you still don’t get any feedback to your touch? I don’t find the iPad keyboard any more efficient to type on than the iPhone as it is.
I would be amazed if it could accurately sense what keys you are hitting as well.
I would much prefer advances to technology like AirPlay.
surely it would ‘just’ detect finger distance and keyboard size to measure keystroke? I can’t imagine that it would be that difficult to achieve. Might kick your battery in the pants a bit though.
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dick.
DOn’t count on it. Maybe 3 iphones up the road tho
We already know it can’t be that thin if we’ve seen the camera and the camera is bigger then the “slim” iPhone 5.Â
In this (not very original) concept, the projector would be a mere 2, 3 millimeters (0.1 inch) above the table surface. That does not make for a good (read: feasible) projection angle.Â
Also remember that your hands will block any “keys” behind them, as the projector is in front. All you’ll see is huge shadows.Â
and 12 hours battery ~__~
could the rubber keyboard be pealed off the back of the IPAD or device and be used as needed?Â
Search YouTube for “Mozilla Seabird 2D concept”. September 2010
Apple should buy Microvision and own the superior laser projector technology
This technology has been available for something like 10 years. Granted, it is bulkier than a pico projector. But it works and is even sold at ThinkGeek.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/compu…
“I would be amazed if it could accurately sense what keys you are hitting as well.”
No problem there. The technology to detect key presses on a virtual projected keyboard has been around longer than a decade and is already available in retail.
http://www.virtual-laser-devic…
It’s just a concept, not a real thing. Â Of course it doesn’t actually work as shown. Â
It’s taking a real thing (projected keyboards) and hoping that someday it might be possible to integrate it into a phone. Â Keyboards like this already work, but they generally need a camera high above the surface to do it. Â
This is just a “wouldn’t it be cool” kind of thing.Â
In case no one has noticed Holographic image projection is technically impossible right now also.
The advantage would be that it’s a full sized keyboard so you could touch type, which is like twenty times faster than the two finger method. Â
Mozilla Seabird 2D concept +1
“Concepts” might be based on technology that doesn’t yet exist, but the concept must be based on logical assumptions, rather than ideas that break the laws of physics and, therefore, can never be realized.
Anyway, my notes were more in reaction to the author’s statement that “This is plausible, especially considering Apple’s recent moves in the pico space.” No THIS is NOT possible, al least not in any usable form.
Not even anywhere near possible plus how could you touch a holographic projection
 thanks for the wonderful review