10 years from now, the Kinect will be… (Melissa dela Merced)

1. It will be used to track a person’s movements in a moving vehicle. I see the technology to be able to see the effects of crash tests and impact test on vehicles.
2. This could actually be used to take body measurements for various applications such as customized furniture and equipment like bicycles.
3. all connected and in a Batman Dark Knight sort of way, spy on us and give intelligence agencies a real time 3D visual map of any area that the camera sees.
4. The Star Trek holodeck could actually be real in my lifetime. With Kinect cameras to capture the real world in real time, it could be recreated in a holodeck somewhere for us to interact in.
5. We are no longer limited by the size of our screen to use our computer. Minority Report gesture control has now arrived to our homes.
6. Assitive technology for those who have no depth perception. The sad thing about current 3D technology is that it requires viewers to have both eyes to view the 3D image. Using kinect technology, I think we can use it to scan the world and display it in such a way that we won’t get dizzy with the fancy images.
7. Virtual presence scanner. Imagine you can be “physically” present anywhere with your 3D scanned image using the Kinect and brought elsewhere.
8. TV is now a thing of the past. Shows are now projected directly into your room. Video cameras will have kinect technology that will allow projectors to display the action right in your living room.
9. It will be used to automate preparation of food. Imagine. You’ll never have to de bone a fish or chicken for dinner. Current technology relies on X-ray snapshots in a machine that only belongs in a factory. What if this could be in your house. I think it would be awesome.

10. and lastly, the Kinect technology could be used to follow the human body as it approaches a screen for the image on the screen to adjust to the depth opf field of the user. Objects in the mirror may appear closer.

So there you have it. My ten predictions for the future. Some of them are already here. But who knows what the future brings.