The fourth generation mobile systems claim to achieve few Gbps of data rates on short ranges. This means that you can download an entire movie in less than a second. There is a lot of research going on ad hoc networks.
Idea : Imagine an environment where you have wireless connection to Gbps internet all the time. This can be achieved by carefully placing small 4G devices distributed throughout the place. These devices cooperate among themselves similar to sensor motes do. They are finally connected to a central server that connects you to internet.
Challenges : 4G is still in embryonic stage. Routing in sensor nets is largely at theoretical level. At least 10-20 years are required to make a commercial system, though test systems can be made with current technology.
Thursday, May 4, 2006
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Animations
With increasing technology, it is possible to make images in photoshop that look almost real. If you don't believe me, just have a look at this http://www.bertmonroy.com/fineart/text/fineart_damen.htm.
Idea : Imagine animated movies that look as real as normal movies. And normal movies putting in a lot of special effects looking as unreal as animated ones. Soon the two will be indistinguishable. And you can see all your favorite actors again - imagine seeing movies of Kishore Kumar or Charlie Chaplin using mobile phones and computers. Since normal filmaking is a costly project involving a lot of people management, the industry will gradually move to animations until finally all you see will be animations stuffed with all your favorite actors looking as real.
Challenges : The pace at which technology in film industry moves seems to be really slow. Increasing realism in animations is a very difficult task. Also the best animations available like Final Fantasy and Animatrix (first story) are actually far from real. Atleast 10 years till they start looking real and another 5 till industry actually accepts this as a cheaper form of production - maybe more.
Some more di : 3 LOTR movies incurred a production cost of $300 million. Compare with a huge company having 2000 animation engineers @ $10000 per month for an year (a rather overpaid and hence dedicated team; salary of $240m), 100 managers @ $15000 pm ($18m), hi-fi computers @10000 for each employee and 500 extra machines ($25m, not considering the fact that most computer parts do not become outdated in an year) plus overheads(marketing etc) of as much as $25m, totalling to $300m, can produce a superb movie, atleast 10 yrs down the line if not earlier (figures ignore the inflation rate).
Update in Apr 2009: Looks like this one is coming true. For one, the number of animated movies has increased tenfold in just 4-5 years. Further, digitally engineered characters are no longer a fantasy. The movie "X-men Origins: Wolverine" shows a young Charles Xavier, a digitally modified Jean-Luc Picard. Also an all digital Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in Terminator Salvation.
Idea : Imagine animated movies that look as real as normal movies. And normal movies putting in a lot of special effects looking as unreal as animated ones. Soon the two will be indistinguishable. And you can see all your favorite actors again - imagine seeing movies of Kishore Kumar or Charlie Chaplin using mobile phones and computers. Since normal filmaking is a costly project involving a lot of people management, the industry will gradually move to animations until finally all you see will be animations stuffed with all your favorite actors looking as real.
Challenges : The pace at which technology in film industry moves seems to be really slow. Increasing realism in animations is a very difficult task. Also the best animations available like Final Fantasy and Animatrix (first story) are actually far from real. Atleast 10 years till they start looking real and another 5 till industry actually accepts this as a cheaper form of production - maybe more.
Some more di : 3 LOTR movies incurred a production cost of $300 million. Compare with a huge company having 2000 animation engineers @ $10000 per month for an year (a rather overpaid and hence dedicated team; salary of $240m), 100 managers @ $15000 pm ($18m), hi-fi computers @10000 for each employee and 500 extra machines ($25m, not considering the fact that most computer parts do not become outdated in an year) plus overheads(marketing etc) of as much as $25m, totalling to $300m, can produce a superb movie, atleast 10 yrs down the line if not earlier (figures ignore the inflation rate).
Update in Apr 2009: Looks like this one is coming true. For one, the number of animated movies has increased tenfold in just 4-5 years. Further, digitally engineered characters are no longer a fantasy. The movie "X-men Origins: Wolverine" shows a young Charles Xavier, a digitally modified Jean-Luc Picard. Also an all digital Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in Terminator Salvation.
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