Nokia's augmented reality vision, from haptic bracelets to magic lenses

IMing with a pair of glasses? Haptic wrist devices? A window that displays messages like a computer screen? What will those crazy Finns think up next? Well, only Nokia knows, but the video from the company's research arm (see clip below -- scroll to 0:40 to get past the preamble) gives an interesting taste of what it calls "Mixed Reality." The concept has actually been around for some time, and gained a lot of steam thanks to Ray Kurzweil's immortality-laced procrastinations on augmented reality earlier in the decade. It's not clear when or if Nokia -- a company which is better known for mobile phones -- will be releasing augmented reality eyewear or haptics-powered bangles, but it's still fun to dream. In a seperate report, Nokia researchers describe a phone's display being used as a "magic lens" to overlay annotations and other data, as well as a prototype online service that creates a virtual 3D space based on user-contributed photos and other media.

And, while you're pondering what the future may bring, here's something else to chew on: What would these types of tools and displays mean for a typical office environment? PowerPoint presentations that show up right in front of people's eyeballs? Conference rooms filled with people making mysterious, random gestures? We can't wait.

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