One of my friends here showed me one really amazing piece of technology. Something that the world has not yet seen. Something that would goes beyond all our imagination as far as the field of Human Computer Interaction goes.
As the name suggests- humans interact with computers and each interaction is important to an user. The thing I am talking about now is the new project natal from xbox, ( which has not yet been released to stores). What's so great about this project? See for yourself- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qlHoxPioM and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPIbGnBQcJY&feature=channel.
I am sure you would have been astounded by those 2 links up there. Well, even I was stunned by the remarkable features of this project, however, I am sure, while being impressed by the technology, we all have forgotten one thing completely.
When this project comes to the stores- many people will certainly buy it, play with it and experience something new and of course, yes, get addicted to it. That will happen with most kids around the world. One thing that we have to realize is that if this project comes to the stores, children will certainly forget playing with physical friends. Children won't realize what it is to actually play football on the grass or hear the real sound of bat hitting ball or even ball hitting stumps.
My Parents' generation would boast of having played on large empty spaces in Chennai. Our generation can boast of striking a balance between playing video games, games on the pc and also playing on the grounds and roads in Chennai. What would the generation after us boast of? Having a friend named Milo, who can read his or her emotions and offer his help seeing through his virtual eyes? Not having a physical friend will be something that the next generation would probably boast about.
Imagine the effect that such a project will have on our kids. It is no doubt a great path-breaking project which has to be appreciated for all the hardwork, the effort and the ideas put in to create such a magnum opus. Hats off to the Xbox makers, but this will only affect kids of the coming generations. I know, this post might sound as a sort of propaganda against this new technology, but I am posting my true feelings here.
The xbox natal might be of greater use to the last man alive on earth rather than kids who need to experience what is left of earth. Green grass, fresh water, monsoon rains, sandy beaches- all these are going to be a reality for maybe a couple more generations, given the rate at which the earth is deteriorating. Let everything be natural, lets not technologically revolutionize every single thing on earth- including humans and sports.
