MIT Media Lab: Siftables

[TheAlphaShadows]

very clever, but very expensive.

there are more apps than that

[mhhong01]

great!!!

[cmas2490]

so basically it does nothing useful

[a051834f]

i think it is interesting.

[pausytau]

I WANT TO HAVE THIS SIFTABLES!!! :)))

[systemterror]

What if, now only if, you had one big screen, let say attached to a single power source, that you could manipulate objects displayed upon it with a manualy controlled pointer that could complete a multitude of functions! Hmmmm. Sounds crazy, but it might just work.

[othman90a]

whats the point ?

I think that working on a screen is much more "natural" than working on a piece of paper or whatever. But maybe thats just me..

[SosiBibuSuka]

I see it as a perfect toy for kindergarten aged kids... and that's if they implement some learning tools or games based on this interface. Try charging all those pieces... stupid invention

[quirknlady]

Applications? How about a method of communicating for autistic children and other language-challenged individuals? It's similar to picture boards but more flexible. Another application....a writing program....better than cut and paste. I should get paid for this stuff!

[TroyOi]

Would be nice if you guys spent a LITTLE more time trying to come up with some reasonable applications for these things. I realize that the philosophy at the Media Lab is pretty close to "If it can be done, let's do it", and I'm all for that, but it really behooves you to talk about applications. And if you can't yet foresee applications, be forthright about it.

[agvulpine]

Imagine having to recharge 50 of them

[hoppingcloud9]

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT !

[BrainEatingZomb1e]

great idea but how do implement something like this i see no real application here.

[esathegreat]

so what?

[Grousuba]

naah think i'll pass

[obanfan75]

whats that three wheeled chair in the beginning?

[GFraggle]

Wow is there ever some failure of imagination in the comments here! All of the "drawbacks" you state are the Siftables' strengths.

[pinkpatroll]

its a very good thing ithere also a calculator its a learning device

[stonethrowjuksayer]

you can make music with these things, with Filters and Effects and Loops

[davipaschoal]

cool technology but poor usability

[crazymcfobo]

So it lets you look at multiple pictures at once? Great idea if you want to jerk off.

[sijjajamamuta]

They're too large.

[NevTheDeranged]

They're neat, but I want 3D versions, like alphabet blocks, with screens on every side. It's probably only a matter of time.

[RaizenRDT]

I can't think of a really realistic use for this...[2] by now... it realy don't seems to be so usefull .... but who knows ^^ .. u can use this like old "tamagoshi" ... or necklace to find "friends" who knows XD

[NekoMouser]

Go to the Siftables website and watch the TED video on these things. It is a presentation from the TED conference (it is also available on the TED website) and I think the potential uses for these things, especially in early education become much more clear and obvious. The music bit at the end is really impressive.

[LKDesign]

I can't think of a really realistic use for this...

The hightech thing that I think will be big one time is the multi touch interfaces for like pre-school and hobby.

[luispetroski]

Open your mind. This is just the beginning. Nobody ever thought that Internet would be usefull for anything 15 years ago and see where we are today... Same for TV's, cars and etc...

So, open your thoughts, try to see it from another perspective. :-)

[nateroll4life]

The only real practical application I could see would be a arrangement of touchscreen panels that run the same concept. Optimally probably the size your hand.

Small tiles would just become annoying, It'd be like having a separate mp3 player for every mp3 you own.

[Killerbunnieshurtme]

Pretty cool, but for instance, what use does the shaking blur function have?

For arranging photos, grouping them, things like that, there are already touch screen interfaces which can do things quicker and easier- how many applications do these work with?

[confirmingerrorg]

excellent and interesting way to merge electronic and phyical tasks. WITHOUT ALL THE HASTLE!

[gandhi328]

they should call it the MIT toy factory

[HobbyistX]

Interesting how so many people leaving comments are complaining that these aren't "useful".

Is art useful?

Are toys useful?

Try surrounding yourself with only useful items and see how quickly life becomes incredibly dull.

[exconvictriddick]

is it really useful??? no its not. think about it. would you need it in a office? does it increase your productivity? is it practical? how about cost? or how about, how many of those things you need to do a simple task, such as organizing your photo with laptop?

dont get me wrong, its cool and all to show to friends.

On your last statement, that's true

It does make my life incredibly dull but dont' sit in front of my computer 24/7. i only use my pc to do relevant task.

[theplaneshift]

Amazing what useless things you can do with an accelerometer.

[skinnymonkey213]

My dick can do that with it's eye closed.

[sirenia4]

to me, a pencil and a sheet of paper would be more useful...

[xxwizxkidxx]

one word. bullshit.

[digitalreflections]

very interesting... seems like the most obvious application is for kids

[exconvictriddick]

yea that's the most obvious application design for kids, pre-k and up to probably 3 graders. lmao.

[digitalreflections]

nothing wrong with that

[exconvictriddick]

i know. actually its awesome for toddlers too.

i'm sure i'll be useful teaching alphabets and numbers.

I hope its plays videos with sound. that would be AWESOME.

[michielgrillet]

Very promising technology!

[vanvlishter]

stupid -.-'

[maxhodges]

Wow, what a bunch of pointless junk!

[leeroynaggins]

Wow, I really have time for that crap.

[badgrammar]

almost completely useless.

[dustinbowls76]

i WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THESES ...

i WANT TO GET SOME IN A BAD WAY!

[Orlor]

Looks like a solution waiting for a problem.

[zackgreer]

Useless technology developed by people with too much time, or a breakthrough that paired with human applications that could change the world?

I go with the former.

[TheatricalMarketer]

Awesome video! You truly are a leader. The content you provide, are the same great techniques that have caused me to achieve massive success, all through free marketing. Keep up the good work, and look forward to future videos...

[gamba123]

Beatifull and very imaginative proyect!

[halfdark000]

these are definitely cool, but they dont seem like a finished product yet. there's also a matter of price. to properly hit the mainstream they'd have to be selling for no more than $20 a unit. it'd be cool if they could do more than just organise images too.

[xteenagegraffiti]

I've seen all of the Media Lab stuff in person, it's pretty neat.

[spunknic]

good job guys

[o0olikuidiceo0o]

I don't understand why some you find it useless. Have you seen the iPhone? A lot of the motion sensor technology is used in them. The shiftable idea is the key to the mobile technology of tomorrow.

[leeroynaggins]

Yes, but the iphone makes phone calls.

Imagine if all the little programs you had on your iphone were little separate chicklets in your pocket.

You'd lose em.

Your cat would eat em.

You'd vacuum them up.

They'd fall down in the sofa.

They'd be all over the car floor.

You'd throw them away by mistake.

Some idiot would put em up his ass.

You get the picture...

[anseagraves]

Yey, MIT media lab, connecting people to computer-centered data systems in the most gimmicky way since 1985. Practical solutions please.

[Abercr0mbie4life]

great, another gimmick for Spencer gifts

[kingrune111]

amazing!

[marcell01986]

good job

[mecotterill]

Or just use some paper and a pencil

[BlakeShrek68]

2:08 was totally unnecessary and random!!!

[wrb1957]

It isn't the 'siftables' that are important, here. This is some pretty neat technology, with a multitude of possible applications. Robotics, A.I., manufacturing, business, medical, apps for computers and mobile devices, prosthetics, implants... The 'siftables' aren't even the point, really. You can bet that whoever's helped to finance this is already thinking of possible applications and business models. Find out who they are and invest a couple bucks.

[boffo1962]

I can see that technology getting very boring, very fast.

[janoare]

WTF are the MIT doing, with the money

Thats a stupid invent, no one can give them a use

[FearSyndr0me]

SWeet!! thats so...useless

[aspiek1d]

is it possible to have sex with it? if so sign me up for two

[thejapanese5]

oh god thats what i was thinkin lol

[audigitus]

they look sweet, but not very practical...

[Legendation]

OH YEAH!!! How many do I need to buy if I want them??

[Farside338]

well I can deffinatly say this is really cool

[exactspace]

I want to see some more practical examples. There were a few good ones. Also, how about power consumption?

[joseamirandavelez]

this is already in the market but as toys...

[dnoexiste]

i think the most innovative is the 'discovery' of the technolgy of 'near of' nothing more.

near-of kitchen: remember fry eggs, buy supplies, etc.

its funny, at the moment.

[dnoexiste]

i think the most innovative is the 'discovery' of the technolgy of 'near of' nothing more.

near-of kitchen: remember fry eggs, buy supplies, etc.

its funny, at the moment.

[Adster2501]

Cyber-3 Card Monty!

Kinda useless as a tool unless you really need some kind of practical application such as architechture or planning.

[ronnysoeberg]

I can't see this serving any purpose what so ever.. It's cool, but I don't see what I could possibly gain from having these as an interface for anything. Multitouch, sweet. 3dimentional input devices, great. Tiny monitors that sense motion and relation to eachother? Some puzzle games maybe.. High tech version of Battleships.. Probably a good project for getting nice grades.

[Orteil42]

Hahaha I love these things even if I don't see the point yet. They're just like real life desktop icons !

[MDude1350]

This seems alright, although I've seen some other modular devices (can't name them off the top of my hat), and I personaly prefer the kind with more specialised devices. This could work pretty well as one of a set of module things, but not so much on it's own, although if it's as simple as it's exploded veiw makes it look, it should be easy to interface it with other systems.

[censoredScene]

I don't really see the point of these :o

[mastermind963]

well if this is good then look at the microsoft surface...

[lpsidler]

Isn't that all easier just on the computer?

[sirjcob]

I'm sorry - but if the students at MIT are ripping off currently available children's toys then that school isn't as great as I previously assumed. ---- If you don't know what children's toys I'm talking about, they're "blocks" with little pixel characters that interact with each other when connected by one of their four sides - hmmmm....

[itsnotian]

wow not that amazing, i mean it's cool, but maybe this would have been revolutionary 10 years ago.

[resounclebob]

just excellent !!!

[pongman]

I fail to see the practicality of this technology. Now if you can make a miniature car that can fit in my pocket and with a press of a button it becomes full size that would be nice. It would save on parking. lol

[file83]

I didn't see any "sifting". I see blocks that are assigned to display preprogrammed behaviors based on a variety of sensory inputs (vibration, orientation, proximity).

Should have just called them "people".

[eguerxet]

Hum...

[sujaul1971]

brilliant!

pay no heed to the pulldowners-

they sound like dinosaurs who cant think out of the box-

i am an architect and this could be the future-i wish the minority research screens were available

[angeljay999]

just the beginning my friends...just the beginning.

[patio87]

Fucking retarded, sorry.

[alexxrustal]

I know all secret of men who was born on 5 March

[neotoy]

yay! another candidate for the "awesome yet totally impractical technology award."

[more0rl3ss]

To me it seems a very good starting point in concteptualising what would mean to materialize all those digital and immaterial bits & bytes that go through our electronics -but we cant experience- thus to compensate their lack of physical presence that results to depersonalised & frustrating experiences of technology (no involvement). Get these technologies from concepts to real practice through design and new realities with mindful interactions would be the real benefit from such attempts.

[nyrychvantel]

Another unpractical gizmo.

And I didn't expect it came from the prestigious MIT.

[ndjarnag]

oh brother.

most research in academics labs is not immediately practical.

[vardo5]

those are wicked!!!

[VOTEDEMOCRATYEA]

IT WONT SALE!!

[abshakies]

you mean sell, and there is a segment for this

it reminded me a bit of Microsoft surface

P.s. One market segment is the toy industry. think of children learning with the cubes

[jkantorphoto]

There's a reason why some people can design things like this and others can only watch on YouTube.

[inthefade]

I'm glad that people are exploring new ideas like this, but it seems sometimes that they aren't looking to solve any real-world problem. At this point it is just a novel idea, without any immediate purpose or function.

Cool though.

[yufeizhou]

very neat

[hwlemming]

Completely useless. An interface using a wiimote or touchscreen or virtual reality gloves ala Minority Report makes more sense for these manipulations (or even just use a mouse). I don't need or want a dozen of these things cluttering up my desk. I can't think of a single application that wouldn't be better served with some other interface. Maybe for some sort of building block game for kids?

[brianjosephking]

Love it. Very intriguing concept.

[beybylong]

(Fantastico) (increible ) (Alucinante)

[richkawaiipikachu]

Like you care if he farts out cows .

But still neat idea .

[xxdigipiratexx]

It's neat, but I'd like to know what real world applications it serves other than maybe games or something.

[SeanODesse]

I used this technique just the other day to organize my artwork for my portfolio using printed out thumbnails. it's a great way to organize ideas and if you can do it electronically with these tiny monitors, i can see how it can possibly have benefits in seeing data in new ways that may not be able to be seen otherwise. Nice job, guys!