We live in an era where the speed of technological advances has far exceed the rate of individual’s adaptation and learning abilities. To avoid a fatal outcome, researchers and developers of computer technology must cultivate a human-centered paradigm. It is essential to establish a technology where people can interact naturally with machines like robots and computers, as if they are interact naturally with other people or nature, in a cybernetic way that is truly human-oriented, thoroughly backed up by knowledge of physiology and cognitive behavioral psychology. We can permit various forms of interface, but the default interface has to be object-oriented, with a clear standard by which people can interact with machines as if they are handling natural objects.
Telexistence (tele-existence) runs concurrent with this human-centered notion. It is a fundamental concept which refers to the general technology that enables a human being to have a real-time sensation of being at a place other than where he or she actually exists, while being able to interact with the remote environment, which may be real, virtual, or a combination of both. It also refers to an advanced type of teleoperation system which enables an operator at the control to perform remote tasks dexterously with the feeling of existing in a surrogate robot working in a remote environment. A surrogate robot and a remote environment can be virtual. Real operation through virtual space is also possible, i.e. Augmented Telexistence.
Telexistence ultimately enables humans to be virtually ubiquitous, i.e., being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time.
Telexistence found in two form currently:
1. Telexistence- telexistence communication, mutual telexistence, and haptic telexistence using Telexistence Surrogate Anthropomorphic Robot (TELESAR), is fundamentally a concept named for the general technology that enables a human being to have a real-time sensation of being at a place other than where he or she actually exists, and being able to interact with the remote environment, which may be real, virtual, or a combination of both.
2. Telexistence wide-angle immersive stereoscope (TWISTER), which has full-color autostereoscopic display with 360-degree field of view, A team of researchers led by Susumu Tachi ay the University of Tokyo has devised a rotary panoramic display that throws the viewers into a 3D video environment. The Telexistence Wide-angle Immersive STEReoscope (aka TWISTER) is claimed to be the world’s first full-color 360-degree 3D display, which viewers can experience without the need to wear any annoying 3D glasses.
TWISTER is the result of long 10 years of research and development of researchers. It contains the cylindrical display of about 4 ft tall and 6.5 ft wide, comprises 50,000 LEDs set in columns. It revolve around the observer’s head at speed of 1.6 revolutions per second, the specifically arranged LED columns creates a slightly different image to each of the observer’s eyes to create a 3D illusion. The 3D image of the observer is taken by the cameras fitted on the rotating panels.
TWISTER work on phenomenon called ‘binocular parallax,’ the principal behind the phenomenon is that both eyes i.e. (left eye and right eye) see same image with different position (depth) which produce a illusion of third dimension on same image and produce the effect of 3D.
Currently to experience TWISTER, you have to stand inside of it, where several display screen displays rotate around you at 1.9 revolutions per second, showing a different display to each eye and creating the illusion of a 3D image.
Transhumanist future is near…
* hero image from http://www.wouldyoukindly.com/halo-ce-anniversary-has-enhanced-story-will-foreshadow-new-mysteries-about-halo-4/
July 7, 2015 at 4:13 am
archived comment:
It is essential to establish a technology where people can interact naturally with machines like robots and computers, as if they are interact naturally with other people or nature, in a cybernetic way that is truly human-oriented, thoroughly backed up by knowledge of physiology and cognitive behavioral psychology.
I wholeheartedly agree! That is why interaction design, human factors, user-centered design and user experience design are really important to changing humanity with technology.
By Samuel H. Kenyon on Dec 28, 2012 at 9:44am
July 8, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Teleoperating a humaniform robot is one thing. Developing a translation matrix to operate for example a 6 limbed robot through any “natural” human interface is perhaps asking too much. That said, I do think that using a BCI one could easily adapt to operate an additional set of limbs through that interface or indeed almost any kind of external control mechanism (think of the Star Trek episode “Spock’s Brain”). Could you “plug in” to an airplane and BE the airplane’s control system where running low on fuel imparts a feeling of hunger, wanting to move left or right changes those flaps to make you go that way. Or plug into a building and BE the building adjusting the environmental controls of the building with a thought. The limit to our multitasking this way would probably depend on how much of it can be delegated to autonomic functions.