Our newest nominee is PrimeSense, a device which enables your TV to see exactly who is watching it. Repeat that slowly to yourself: a device, which enables your TV, via a set-top box, to see who is watching it. Is that not the most insane thing you’ve ever heard? It’s like Big Brother for everyone.
Geeks and inventors everywhere have been working tirelessly, hoping that their contribution to the development of futuristic television technology will be honoured with this esteemed prize. There’s a trophy and everything.
Every technology kid's dream
PrimeSense was on display this week at the CableLabs’ Innovation Showcase in Colorado, USA. The technology works through a chip inside a camera that plugs into the set-top box, but what it sees look more like thermal imaging than a clear detailed picture.
Though the image is not clear, the television will still be able tell how many people are watching and whether they are adults or children.
Watching TV
Panic over privacy
Of course online respondents have expressed major concern about issues of privacy in the home. On his blog, Open Source, Vlad Nedelcu makes the point that digital TV sets already keep track of every remote button pressed, but PrimeSense takes the concept a whole lot further. Personally, I like to dance to Beyonce music videos in my lounge and I imagine that the knowledge of something staring at me would definitely kill the vibe.
However, the idea is obviously exciting for TV networks, which could use PrimeSense to customise advertising and target content so much more effectively. Also, PrimeSense and other products that follow it could see the end of TV remote controls or keyboards.
Because the television set will be able to detect the presence of people it allows for the possibility of virtual touch interfaces, whereby viewers can interact with a menu as they would a touch screen, but from a distance. No more getting off the couch or lifting up sofa pillows to find the remote, brilliant.
The new technology is also good news for the gaming industry, as the PrimeSense website says, “making video games more immersive and fun to play by allowing users to play naturally using body movements and gestures” – Wii without the controls.
PrimeSense is ready to start mass production, with some undisclosed customers already in the pipeline.
I think I need to spend the weekend reading 1984 and watching The Truman Show.
Related Link
PrimeSense tech watches you watching TV
