Microsoft Shows Off Kinect-Powered 3D Interactive Desktop [VIDEO]

3D technology is currently all the rage amongst most of the tech companies pushing to find a new and innovative feature that will help them stand out from the crowd. With so many players in the smartphone, TV and computer industry all vying for our dollars, they all need to find a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. 3D, it seems, is one of those ways.

Microsoft is no different, and it also happens to have one of the best research teams on the planet. If there is one thing Microsoft knows how to do, it’s establish a team of very clever people and set them on their way to making cool and innovative stuff – just look at the Kinect.

3D Desktop

The Kinect, funnily enough, is at the heart of the latest video to come out of Microsoft’s Research team, and it shows what many would consider the Holy Grail of modern technology – a 3D desktop environment featuring a transparent OLED display. Sounds awesome right? Wait until you watch the video!

The whole system in the video is made up of various technologies, with that transparent OLED screen from Samsung being perhaps the most impressive to us. Microsoft’s Kinect is used for the hand gestures and a head tracking system is in place to change the 3D perspective. All thrown together and it makes an awesome demo that has us wishing we could put our hands behind our MacBook screens. Alas, they’re just a little too solid!

3D Desktop 2

The uses of this technology may not go much further than the initial wow factor, and with the Minority Report fans amongst us probably foaming at the mouth in anticipation, the whole demo does have  a distinct feel of the future about it.

Unfortunately we don’t expect to be seeing this kind of thing find its way to your local Best Buy any time soon, but we take some comfort in the knowledge that someone, somewhere is doing this kind of thing and trying to push the desktop metaphor into the 21st century.

We don’t say this very often, but good on you, Microsoft. Keep up the good work!

(via Next At Microsoft)

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