Electronic ink? Cars that talk to each other? Doors that open when they sense you coming? They may sound like props from a sci-fi flick. But the experiments underway at the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could become reality for tomorrows consumers.
Some projects already have made their way to the marketplace. A Media Lab-developed microchip that detects the presence of a child safety seat and reduces air bag power is used in Mercedes line of S-Class cars.
Taking the mass out of media
The air bag breakthrough was one of the examples Michail Bletsas, the lab's director of computing, used at a conference in Thessaloniki in November to illustrate the effects of new technologies on traditional media.
"In the near future the word mass in mass media will be replaced by the word personal," Bletsas said.
Much of the labs focus is on "smart" technology that allows machines to be tailored to a users specific needs or traits. Ground-breaking work has been done in such fields as gender- and age-based computing, wearable computers and digital video that provides a personalized viewing experience.
Hypersoaps
An example of interactive television is the Object-Based Media Group 's HyperSoap, a short soap opera programme that allows a viewer to use a remote control to click on items clothing, props, furniture for purchasing information.
Such interaction points toward a future of video catalogue shopping or informational programmes that offer a click-and-learn educational experience.
Heralded as revolutionizing the field of technology and giving birth to multimedia, MIT's Media Lab is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. More than 170 corporations around the world sponsor the work of approximately 400 researchers, administrators, professors, graduate and undergraduate students at the lab. Bletsas reveals that more than 10 of them including him and his brother are Greek.
The 33-year-old was born in Hania, Crete where he lived before studying electrical engineering at Thessaloniki's Aristotle University. Bletsas continued with graduate studies in computer engineering at Boston University, and ended up at the Media Lab after reading a magazine article about its 10-year anniversary and its founder Nicholas Negroponte, also of Greek-heritage.
Bletsas is responsible for all the digital infrastructure the lab uses for its work.
Im involved in one way or another with various projects. In some very seriously in others not, depending on the needs they have, he said. Im not the first name in some of the projects, but because of my work Im involved in many.
Bletsas said Negroponte, the labs co-founder and a pioneer in computer-aided design, has a very active role as lab chairman and spends much of his time helping to develop the Media Labs Dublin, Ireland branch.
On many occasions Negroponte has described work done at the lab as "less than normal".
"Our job is to do things that are crazy to justify our existence," he claims.
Considering some of the labs projects, the media masters description is not far fetched.
An electronic toll collector, a radar system that identifies vehicles in your path, silicon biology, clothes with computerized labels that tell the washing machine what cycle to use, even a door that opens when it sees you approaching with hands full of bags are just some of the hundreds of projects in progress.
One of the more fascinating recent developments to come out of the lab is Electronic Ink technology developed by the Nanomedia group. The ink can be printed on a sheet of plastic film that is laminated to a layer of circuitry to make an electronic display.
Dynamic, high-resolution electronic books are also in the works. The project aims to display volumes of information including newspapers that update themselves daily via wireless broadcast.
While it may take some time for mass-use of such devices, US consumers will be getting other Media Lab technology in their hands sooner whether they like it or not.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has mandated that air bag sensing systems be installed in cars beginning in 2004.
Despite the advantage of air bag sensing technology, its discovery was made by mistake.
"It began from something completely different," Bletsas said.
He said it started with a hyperinstrument study musical instruments to which additional abilities were added via computers. Sensing technology was developed and advanced without something concrete in mind. Eventually the chip developed with its current application.
Does this sort of thing usually happen?
"Usually yes, for the simple reason that the lab is a lab of ideas," Bletsas explains. "Usually, it is as far as possible from final results."
