, explains how "computer call" can transform everyday objects into communication devices

is an assistant professor in the laboratory of the Oku-Ishikawa of Tokyo University. He and his partner, Alexis Zerroug have created a multi-modal augmented reality in space, a system that instantly changes the communication objects of domestic appliances. The effect, known as "the computer has invoked" is a process that has Cassinelli to turn a pizza box thrown into a laptop and a banana on a phone. The idea won the grand prize in Laval Virtual, an international conference and exhibition on virtual reality and converging technologies.

How do you get the idea of ??"the computer has invoked"

The project began with a self-imposed challenge that there were reasons both ecological and geek. The question was: could revive an old laptop into the trash, not for the repair of internal components, but using augmented reality (our specialty), making this rain-soaked inert object into something functional again - something seemed "alive" to the casual observer from the outside?

We soon realized we were going to succeed, something interesting was going on, but the team would be "dead", you would be through the intervention of foreign powers, invisible. Life would be instilled from outside the body of the computer is "owned" like a puppet animated by a pervasive "ambient intelligence". And no one would notice the difference. When looking for a name, my first thought about "poltergeist computer" or "zombie computer", but are very negative connotations. We sat in the calculation used this seems more appropriate: it makes you think invoking spiritual (invisible powers, above), and software engineering technical term, "the invocation of an application", meaning "throw"

Why bananas and pizza boxes?

In the scenario information is invoked, the object itself functions as a "call" trigger and interactivity. Of course, looking for objects that are triggered more or less common in the real world, therefore, food-related items (box of bananas and pizza). As triggers, which function as icons on the operating system of a computer: it is not the applications themselves, but the key to open them, to invoke. On the other hand, real physical objects become support for interaction, provide surfaces on which to project images or sounds.

So in effect you turn everyday objects into touch screens?

A gesture reminiscent can be very informative about the intentions of the interpreter. I lived in Japan for 11 years and know first hand that this form of nonverbal communication was (and is) the most reliable computer I have when I want to avoid the ambiguity in everyday life