Monday, June 10, 2013

For over millions of years we have sensed the world around us. When we encounter something, someone or some place, we use our five natural senses to perceive information about it; which helps us make decisions and chose the right actions to take. But the most useful information that can help us make the right decision is not naturally perceivable with our five senses, namely the data, information and knowledge that mankind has accumulated about everything and which is increasingly all available online. Today, technology has come to such a platform where miniaturization of computing devices allows us to carry computers in our pockets, keeping us continually connected to the digital world, but however there is no link between our digital devices and our interactions with the physical world. Information is confined traditionally on paper or digitally on a screen. SixthSense bridges this gap, bringing intangible, digital information out into the tangible world, and allowing us to interact with this information via natural hand gestures. ‘SixthSense’ frees information from its confines by seamlessly integrating it with reality, and thus making the entire world your computer.


                                 COMPOSITION


      The SixthSense comprises of a pocket projector, a mirror and a camera. The hardware components are coupled in a pendant like mobile wearable device. Both the projector and the camera are connected to the mobile computing device in the user’s pocket. The projector projects visual information enabling surfaces, walls and physical objects around us to be used as interfaces; while the camera recognizes and tracks user's hand gestures and physical objects using computer-vision based techniques. The software program processes the video stream data captured by the camera and tracks the locations of the colored markers (visual tracking fiducials) at the tip of the user’s fingers using simple computer-vision techniques. The movements and arrangements of these fiducials are interpreted into gestures that act as interaction instructions for the projected application interfaces. The maximum number of tracked fingers is only constrained by the number of unique fiducials, thus SixthSense also supports multi-touch and multi-user interaction.
 

                                 APPLICATIONS


         The SixthSense prototype implements several applications that demonstrate the usefulness, viability and flexibility of the system. The map application lets the user navigate a map displayed on a nearby surface using hand gestures, similar to gestures supported by Multi-Touch based systems, letting the user zoom in, zoom out or pan using intuitive hand movements. The drawing application lets the user draw on any surface by tracking the fingertip movements of the user’s index finger. SixthSense also recognizes user’s freehand gestures (postures). For example, the SixthSense system implements a gestural camera that takes photos of the scene the user is looking at by detecting the ‘framing’ gesture. The user can stop by any surface or wall and flick through the photos he/she has taken. SixthSense also lets the user draw icons or symbols in the air using the movement of the index finger and recognizes those symbols as interaction instructions. For example, drawing a magnifying glass symbol takes the user to the map application or drawing an ‘@’ symbol lets the user check his mail. The SixthSense system also augments physical objects the user is interacting with by projecting more information about these objects projected on them. For example, a newspaper can show live video news or dynamic information can be provided on a regular piece of paper. The gesture of drawing a circle on the user’s wrist projects an analog watch.       

Sunday, June 9, 2013

                                                                      KNOTS



1.     MONKEY FIST KNOT:       

                                                  The knot is usually tied around a small weight, such as a stone, marble, tight fold of paper, or a piece of wood. A thicker line will require a larger object in the centre to hold the shape of the knot. Another variation of the monkey's fist knot omits the use of an internal object as a weight and rather uses the spare end which gets tucked back into the knot. This results in a nicer looking knot of a lesser weight, minimizing the potential danger of hurting someone with the knot when hauling line.

 

PROCEDURE:

                        Wrap three turns around your fingers. Pass the end through the middle. Make three more turns around the first ones. Pass the end through the middle. Make three more turns locking the previous turns and remove fingers. Tie a knot in the end and tuck it into the center. Then tighten every turn.



2.                                                FISHERMANS BEND




The fisherman's knot is a bend (a knot for joining two lines) with a symmetrical structure consisting of two overhand knots, each tied around the standing part of the other.

    PROCEDURE:                      

  1. With the end of a rope take two turns around a spar, or through a ring.
  2. Take a half-hitch around the standing part and under all the turns.
  3. Then make a half-hitch round the standing part only and if desired seize the end to standing part.


3.        BOWLINE ON THE BIGHT

 
 The Bowline on a Bight  makes a secure loop in the middle of a piece of rope. It does not slip or bind. It is satisfying to start with a plain length of rope and finish with a secure safe loop in its middle.


PROCEDURE


In the middle of a piece of rope, form a bight. Make a loop and pass the end of the bight through it. Open up the bight and bring it around the entire knot until it encircles both standing ends. Tighten to complete the knot.


 4.   PRUSIK KNOT