Folium: “Kinect” Sign Language and the Intersection of Technology and Communication via Engadget
Folium: “Kinect” Sign Language and the Intersection of Technology and Communication via Engadget
Folium: “Kinect” Sign Language and the Intersection of Technology and Communication via Engadget
While definitely not the first Folium post on the intersection of sign language and technology, this demonstrates some of the more accessible roads to applying practical technology that is already available in the consumer market. And utilizing technology that people already have in their living rooms is a huge leap forward in making these kinds of prototypes a reality. You don’t have to be a language major to appreciate the challenges that cross-cultural communication poses, and for the most part it only takes one person with a special passion to build that bridge between two very different worlds.
Kinect for XBox 360 via Engadget.com
The Kinect unit is an add-on motion-tracking camera that was originally designed to be plugged into an Xbox 360. When Kinect is teamed up with the proper game, the person becomes the game controller through the use of body movements and voice recognition. It’s no secret that we’ve had this technology in the past, but this time the tech is good… Really good. And it only took the engineering community a matter of days to rip apart the inner workings and make motion-tracking software of their own. Now Microsoft makes the Kinect software free and open for research and development, knowing very well that the advances made on their hardware will be written in history.
Sometimes I believe that academia creates “invisible bridges” that appear too long and hard to cross. “Math majors should avoid literature”, or “science majors don’t need language classes”. What we need are students who are not afraid to challenge academic systems, and truly innovate by combining areas of thought previously considered “unnecessary” or “impractical”.
I for one welcome speakers of Java, C++, and binary to my Spanish classes. Let’s see what you can make today!
What academic areas do you think go well together? What new programs can we make for the new thinkers of tomorrow? Let us know in the comments below!
