A researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has unveiled a transparent computer which allows users to reach inside and touch the digital contents through a SpaceTop 3D desktop interface.
The desktop has been developed in collaboration with Microsfot by Jinha Lee, a graduate student from MIT.
The SpaceTop 3D desktop interface has been introduced at the Technology, Education and Design (TED) conference in Los Angeles, US.
The desktop interface is powered by a transparent LED display and features two cameras. One tracks the user’s gestures, while the other studies their eyes and adjusts the projection automatically.
The new desktop can also be connected with a touchpad that allows users to perform more precise tasks that are not suited for gesture control, such as typing.
According to the BBC, Lee said the gap between what the designer thinks and what the computer can do is huge.
"If you can put your hands inside the computer and handle digital content you can express ideas more completely," Lee said.
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Lee also demonstrated his other ongoing projects including ZeroN, a floating ball, which can accurately be positioned in midair, as well as an augmented reality shopping app, which when incorporated with a virtual reality handset will allows users to trial items on online shopping sites.
