Future & direction of visual computing

[inferKNOX]

Lately I've been contemplating the direction that I'd like to see the visual aspect of computing go down in terms of monitors & screens. It seems more of a board room presentation, but I figured since I'm not on any monitor/tech companies' payroll (at least yet), I may as well discuss my ideas with my fellow community members.

We are now in the midst of the development of flexible glass, transparent & flexible OLED technology as well as 3D, which now seems to slowly be entering glasses-free viewing phase and apparently works well on OLED screens, or so I hear.
Considering the prospects arising from these new visual technologies, I'm of the opinion that the best, most functional and undoubtedly most enchanting proposition would be curved, multi-layered, transparent screens that optionally have support for multi-touch functionality (like AIOs). I think the embodiment of my vision is best depicted in the monitors used in the Avatar movie.

(bottom-right monitor in this screenshot is example of curvature option)

Elaborating on this;
I would like to see another dimension of screen positioning come into play in addition to tilt, swivel and height adjustment & rotation, of which I believe the latter 2 are far too rarely seen in the computer monitor industry today, but that's another story. The dimension is curvature. I think it's fair to say that the most exotic screens we see today are the curved displays which have the potential of capturing peripheral vision for a truly immersive (and often motion-sickness inspiring) experience and now with AMD's Eyefinity and the competitive multi-screen technology nVidia is no-doubt clamoring to counter release, curvature gives the potential of creating a truly continuous, seamless and enveloping multi-screen setup.
Imagine the option of having a borderless (side & top probably) and transparent flat screen against your wall, or increasing it's curvature to put in a Eyefinity setup, where you quite literally can't tell where one screen begins and the other ends!
(in other words imagine having curved monitors, like the one in the above screenshot, set up side-by-side)

The multi-layered aspect would be to facilitate 3D & possibly have different technologies applied at each level. My idea of multiple technologies is more directed towards mobile computing.
Imagine having a full colour tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, with 2 layers, an Amazon Kindle-type E-ink lower layer for when you want to do plain reading, and an upper layer that activates above the e-ink layer for everything else.
For the desktop/laptop monitors I consider maybe 3 layers, the top 2 for 3D and a lowest "lighting-type OLED" layer to use to occlude the rear of the monitor and so allow the user to set the level of transparency that they desire, whether it be for privacy or whatever. Maybe even 4 layers for monitors if it's feasible, with a transparent e-ink layer just above the lowest layer, if that's possible.

These are some of the ideas that have been floating around in my head.
What do you guys think? What do see happening, or would you like to see happening as the visual medium advances?
I'd like us to continue to discuss this topic as things progress and new ideas develop as I think it's pretty interesting to think about.

Please keep this topic free from debate about market/finance & keep it on topic about what this site is all about: TECH, thanks.

 

[LordJummy]

I like the white/black "docking control" computers of zion from the matrix:

Couldn't find a bigger/better image. However I'm assuming everyone here has seen the Matrix trilogy. Those white/black computers were one of the first I saw like you're describing. It had been done in movies even before the matrix, but not as cool.

 

[inferKNOX]

Weren't those holographic screens?
I could swear I remember the lady pushing one aside and bringing another in front of her as if they were virtual/holographic.

I don't really see holographic/virtual screen being possible, at least not for some time to come. The main issue being that there has to be some sort of vapour medium for the laser beams to bounce off of in the 3 dimensional space in order to produce the 3D image, but light won't go to a certain point and stop moving and shine there as the movies' holographic projectors seem to suggest.

So I think that's quite a conundrum they'd need to work out first.

If movies is what you look to for ideas on this topic here's a thread you might like: http://designingthenews.com/futuristic-interfaces/

 

[LordJummy]

Weren't those holographic screens?
I could swear I remember the lady pushing one aside and bringing another in front of her as if they were virtual/holographic.

I don't really see holographic/virtual screen being possible, at least not for some time to come. The main issue being that there has to be some sort of vapour medium for the laser beams to bounce off of in the 3 dimensional space in order to produce the 3D image, but light won't go to a certain point and stop moving and shine there as the movies' holographic projectors seem to suggest.

http://designingthenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/interface_district97.jpg

So I think that's quite a conundrum they'd need to work out first.

If movies is what you look to for ideas on this topic here's a thread you might like: http://designingthenews.com/futuristic-interfaces/

Which ones? The avatar ones or the matrix ones? I'm going to load up the matrix blu rays and check...

*update: the white/black screens in The Matrix: Reloaded are some kind of transparent touch screen. They don't show enough detail to know what it really is. It does look sweet though.

 

[inferKNOX]

Which ones? The avatar ones or the matrix ones? I'm going to load up the matrix blu rays and check...

*update: the white/black screens in The Matrix: Reloaded are some kind of transparent touch screen. They don't show enough detail to know what it really is. It does look sweet though.

I mean the matrix ones. We would of course want full colour ones though.
However, since you're suggest them, do you have something in mind for how they would be achieved with our current and/or currently developing screen technologies?

 

[LordJummy]

I mean the matrix ones.
However, since you're suggest them, do you have something in mind for how they would be achieved with our current and/or currently developing screen technologies?

Well judging just solely on what I see in the movie (which is a VERY brief clip) it could probably be done with transparent/translucent OLED screens layered on top of each other at varying distances. Their screens appear seamless because they are transparent, so it's very hard to determine what the construction is.

I just really like the way they stylized it. The room was all white, as well as their suits and chairs. The screens were transparent/white and had black interfaces. Just watch the matrix reloaded and you will see.

I'm no expert. I just think it looks awesome.


*edit: actually now that I rewound and watched frame by frame it appears to be holographic in nature. It displays the infrastructure of their tunnels in full 3D. See for yourself. If you'd like I can cut that scene and upload to youtube.

 

[inferKNOX]

I'm afraid I'm sitting under a very bitter internet b/w cap, so I won't be able to view it, but you may want to do so for the benefit of others that would like to see what you're referring to.

 

[St.Alia-Of-The-Knife]

hmm.. transparent screens reminds me of projectors, which is not good
what would happen if you are in a very bright room with the window right behind the screen, the light would pass through and you wont be able to see anything

btw i really enjoyed the Matrix trilogy

 

[inferKNOX]

what would happen if you are in a very bright room with the window right behind the screen, the light would pass through and you wont be able to see anything

That's why I mentioned the multi-layered approach, where the rear layer would serve as a transparency control and could be used to make the back of the monitor opaque.