Mixed Reality

In 2004, Mixed Reality’s (MXR) product Magic Story Cube clinched the World Technology Award in the Education category. Chief executive officer of MXR Corporation Steven Zhou says: ‘The beauty of the newly patented interactive system in Magic Story Cube lies in vision tracking, in which the software is the brain of the computer and the camera is its eyes.’

‘The camera captures the real environment of the user while the software introduces a virtual character on the screen each time it detects a symbol, in this case, printed on the faces of a cube.’

More than just a slew of vivid, colourful 3D animation, the programme requires its users to find the logical input in every turning point of the story.

While providing a fun interface, the software is actually a tool to help the user to visualise 3D objects in a natural and intuitive way.

The company is now collaborating with experts and scientists to create Whizopedia, a suite of interactive encyclopaedia that delivers information via learning-based storytelling, as seen in Magic Story Cube.

A trial version of Whizopeida is on permanent display at the Singapore Science Centre.

TV2GO

Mr Giulio Dorrucci has been actively developing and studying interactive and broadcasting technologies for more than 18 years.

In 2001, he founded PGK Media, the mastermind behind Mr Taxi Smart and PGK Digital Video Billboard, both innovative world firsts in the public transportation and out-of-home advertising broadcast sector.

And there is also TV2GO, the first Digital Mobile TV trial in Singapore that was launched last year.

It brought broadcast advertising solutions, live TV and dedicated channels into taxis, buses and billboards.

‘TV2GO allows the viewers with mobile TV phones to receive and watch their preferred programmes on-the-go and instantly supporting interactive TV services such as voting, polling, content purchase and access to dedicated micro-sites,’ says Mr Dorrucci.

This year, PGK Media in collaboration with UZoneMedia, presented another firstof- its-kind: a mobile location-based infotainment and media distribution platform.

It allows operators to reach new, captive, and high-spending audiences efficiently by effectively covering entire fleets of public transportation vehicles in real time.

XID

Imagine logging on to your computer using face detection, or creating personalised greeting cards using computer graphics solutions such as face synthesis (real-time 3D simulation of faces from a single photo) for the personalization of content.

XID’s products, Face LogOn Xpress and Tycoona Greeting Cards does just that. The name X-iD denotes searching for the identity (ID) of unknown (X).

Its Face Development technology has since been developed into Tycoona, a social network that offers personalization of contents and images.

Says Roberto Mariani, chief technology officer and founder of XID Technologies: ‘Tycoona is different because we are the only network that provides personalization of content, creation of virtual 3D living avatars and opportunity for revenue sharing with our greeting card applications.

Tycoona also features secure and structured tribe service with all the communication platforms such as forum, chat, blogs, event, and newsletters nestled within each tribe, which is run by a tribe leader and the founding team and moderators.

Part of a special report by Special Projects Unit, Marketing Division, SPH
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