Intel Labs' OASIS Makes Lego Playtime Awesome

By Marcus Yam
published

Intel's OASIS will keep an eye on your kitchen food.

While Intel may be directing most of its resources in developing new computer chips, there's also a considerable amount of innovation going on that doesn't involve your next CPU.

One of the very cool things going on at Intel's Seattle labs is OASIS, or Object Aware Situated Interactive System.

While today's most high-tech toys may be the touch-sensitive iPad or iPod touch, Intel's OASIS brings it out to an entire "real world" playing surface. Check out the video below to see how Intel, through the use of camera sensors and projectors, bring Lego to life.

Of course, it's not all just for play. Some of the technology has some real world, practical applications, such as inside the kitchen.

Check out lots more on OASIS from Intel's research site.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
Topics
Intel
Software
20 Comments Comment from the forums
  • NightLight
    I... love this!
    Reply
  • Horhe
    Nice. Imagine playing a Risk-like game with this.
    Reply
  • DjEaZy
    ... no creative thinking for children... no training of writhing and memorizing for groceries list... technology in this case don't help... it is cool, but not helping to get away from dependencies...
    Reply
  • Kileak
    Interactive board games!

    But even then, a full-size LCD display touch surface as Microsoft had shown 3 years ago might be a more interesting option for those.

    The recognition aspect is what is interesting, but even then, unless it comes down to being very inexpensive, I don't see this being of any use to the mainstream as regular working people wouldn't be willing to shell out a grand or more for something they can get by without already pretty well.
    Reply
  • paara
    OMG! That is awsome! :) Wish I was a 5 again
    Reply
  • nonameworks
    I can't see this being closed and affordable, or open without terrible surprises. To clarify what I mean the object recognition database could be open source which would allow for it to be affordable. But if it was open it could serve up some unfortunate images or animations. But this is just a science project, by the time it is used in production it will be significantly different.
    Reply
  • Raid3r
    i m a g i n a t i o n...not substitutable. As for higher up uses I can see potential but leave kids alone for sakes.
    Reply
  • rohitbaran
    :eek2:
    Reply
  • schmich
    I don't get those mentioning that it's stupid because kids have imagination. I mean kids play computer games where all this shown exists in the game. This is just an added level to the toys just like the toys themselves are an added level with their colours and shapes compared to eg. some stick and stones.

    I will agree though that this isn't something spectacular nor something commercially viable.
    Reply
  • As like Microsoft Surface, or as like G-Speak.

    Intel is remaking the whell, and tom's news is old.
    Reply