Musk, the co-founder of PayPal, has been committing his time, effort and fortune towards developing expensive, elaborate and exciting new technologies. He has already founded SpaceX and Tesla Motors - the former focused on building new space crafts, the latter on developing more effective models of electric cars. Last month Musk unveiled plans for the Hyperloop - a radical new form of high-speed transport, theoretically capable of transporting passengers at speeds of over 1,000 km/h.
Now, as part of his work with SpaceX, Musk is looking to revolutionise the very design process itself. In a video released yesterday, Musk introduces a new model for interacting with 3D objects. Referencing Iron Man directly, Musk explains how the UI allows users to manipulate and design objects using only their hands. This can be done through glass screens, virtual reality headsets (the forthcoming Oculus Rift, designed primarily for gaming) or just a standard computer monitor.
When finished, the model can then be sent to a 3D printer to give a physical sample of the object in question for even more accurate analysis. Currently, Musk and the SpaceX team are using the prototype UI to design parts for their dedicated rockets.
Like many of Musk's elaborate projects, it's hard to tell if or when the technology will become available to external designers or the general public (who are already experiencing some degree of gesture interaction through the likes of Xbox Kinect). Still, it's a brief glimpse into how we might engage with computers in the future, and how the wild dreams of sci-fi writers, filmmakers and comic book artists might not be all that wild at all.
(Photo: SpaceX)
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