Milo via Project Natal

Jun 3, 2009 at 1:28 PM
7 comments

I'm not sure how many of you guys are gamers - or even if you're not a gamer and have heard of this. This week is E3, an electronics expo being held in Los Angeles. This is something that Paul used to attend every year as he worked - distantly - in the industry. But a couple years back a few big wigs complained about too many people from the public being admitted so they made it much more stringent as to who gets a pass. Working "distantly" in the industry didn't cut it anymore so now Paul has to watch it along with everyone else on TV.

Anyhow, so at this expo Microsoft had their press conference in regards to Xbox 360 and one thing they introduced was a project in development called "Project Natal" - basically a motion capture device that would make having a game controller obsolete. They've been passing this technology around the computer industry, not just the gaming industry, for awhile now and it's making a lot of waves. While their video demo about it's game applications was really impressive, what was more impressive was it's A.I. applications.

The video below is about a project called "Milo". Watch the video and then read more of my thoughts below...

"Milo" demo, using Project Natal technology

This absolutly amazes me. While this is a "game" persay, the entire idea of an A.I. like this really excites me. I don't want to sound like a complete closet case, but the fact is that I work with computers all day long. They are my partners in my job. If they had an A.I. figure like this that was the shell for all my required interactions with computers, that would be awesome. I'd much rather interact with Milo then with my Microsoft Outlook. I'd much rather see Milo's smiling face and hear, "Maura, you have an appointment in fifteen minutes in conference room 38. Would you like to be reminded again five minutes before it's scheduled to begin?" then a stupid little pop up and an annoying "DING" sound.

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[this is good]

I'd much rather interact with Milo then with my Microsoft Outlook.

I'd much rather interact with a rabid skunk than with Microsoft Outlook, especially on Vista. S'why my home computer is a linux machine.

John

Ohhh... you made the Technology page! Nice!

[this is good]

Nice spotlight, sister!

Thanks for letting me know! I would have missed it :P

maura_ea replied to mad-tante’s comment:
Jun 8, 2009
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Awe, thanks! Hopefully some people will actually see it XD

Ditto, although I have a number of other reasons why I switched to Linux.

But to return to the topic, I do think this is quite intriguing, although I'm not sure I'd want a lot of A.I. in my computer interactions. I am the sort of person who doesn't have a problem with touch-tone automated menus for customer service, but does not care much for automated menus that are voice activated.

I guess what frightens me the most is that something like this might be used as a substitute for human interaction when such is perfectly reasonable. As much as I adore technology, I guess I have a concrete idea of where its proper place is, and do not wish for boundaries to become too blurred.

I am the sort of person who doesn't have a problem with touch-tone automated menus for customer service, but does not care much for automated menus that are voice activated.

Same here. The problem with those menus is that they have rapidly become a way of denying you service instead of a way of giving you better service. My problem is with the ones that put you into a list of options that have nothing to do with your call - and offer no way to speak to a "service representative" until you've matched the programmer's pre-concieved idea of what your needs are.

I guess what frightens me the most is that something like this might be used as a substitute for human interaction when such is perfectly reasonable. As much as I adore technology, I guess I have a concrete idea of where its proper place is, and do not wish for boundaries to become too blurred.

Agreed, again. As a method for helping various shy types become more comfortable with interaction, it is a good thing. As a tool for keeping the customers in queues, it will suck like a black hole.

John

Milo via Project Natal

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