Disney's 'Magic Bench' Puts You in the Picture with Animated Figures

A new "Magic Bench" designed by Disney Research lets you interact with endearing

animated characters — and no special glasses or headsets are required. Instead, the complete environment — the seat, the sitter and the cartoon humanoid animals — is mirrored on a screen opposite the bench, making it possible for others to watch the scene unfold. How does the illusion work? A camera and sensor capture images and gather depth information about physical objects — the bench and the person — that algorithms integrate with the 3D animations, the researchers wrote in a study. Meanwhile, haptic sensors built into the bench deliver vibrations that are synchronized to animated actions on the screen, creating the illusion that the animated figures are occupying real-world space next to the user. [10 Technologies That Will Transform Your