Quick, what's the one piece of technology in the Iron Man saga that you want the most? If you said "Powersuits!" you're thinking small, my friend. Why not ask for the computer program that can build powersuits for you?? I am of course referring to the artificially superintelligent computer system known as J.A.R.V.I.S. Just look at the work Tony Stark does and think of how much more quickly you could design robots with that kind of software: Jarvis was originally a human butler in the Iron Man comic mythos. You could say he was the Alfred of the Marvel universe for the Stark family. After Edwin Jarvis's death, Tony Stark created an artificial intelligence system integrated into his home and powersuits called J.A.R.V.I.S. In a convoluted name worthy of its British-ness, J.A.R.V.I.S. was said to be an acronym for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. There are so many cool features about this computer system that can think, build fantastical machines, and instinctively call your girlfriend when you're afraid you're about to die. One of the greatest, I think we can all agree, is the seamless user interface between Tony's body and J.A.R.V.I.S. And thanks to new technology, we're getting closer to breaking down those barriers and reaching into the computer! There is another sci-fi interface system that eliminates intermediates like mice and keyboards, but still doesn't break all the way through the monitor. Remember the video-viewing system the Pre-Crime Unit used in Minority Report? If you thought that looked like a pretty real, stream-lined system, that's because the computer scientist consulting on the film basically used the movie as a product pitch for a new user interface (and did it more subtly than Lexus did). John Underkoffler and his team didn't go halfway when designing futuristic computers. To enhance the believability of the interface, they developed an entire language of gestures beyond what would be used in the scenes. Even that little glitch where Tom Cruise goes to shake Colin Farrell's hand and accidentally minimizes what he's looking at was a purposeful mistake to show how natural and responsive the system was. Watch Underkoffler demonstrate his gestural user interface and some other novel technologies for integrating computer displays into physical space in this TED Talk: It's always a pleasure to watch science fiction movies and realize how close we are to commercializing such incredible technology. Computer systems are usually one of the most instantly gratifying of these phenomena because the field is progressing at such a rapid pace. Who knows what kind of amazing 3D system we'll be using soon to waste time on the internet! Oh,and if the gloves looked at all familiar, it's because they hearken back to a more ancient technology from a more laughable movie:
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Alanna DurkinExploring the realm of biologically inspired design one superhero example at a time, with some other natural sciences mixed in. Archives
September 2016
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