1. MIT Digital Sixth Sense
Pranav Mistry

2. What is it?
• “SixthSense is a wearable, gestural
interface that augments our
physical world with digital
information, and lets us use natural
hand gestures to interact with that
information.”

3. What does it do?
• “SixthSense brings intangible, digital
information into the tangible world, and
allows us to interact with this information via
natural hand gestures. SixthSense frees
information from its confines, seamlessly
integrating it with reality, thus making the
entire world your computer.”

4. How does it work?
• The SixthSense prototype comprises a pocket projector, mirror,
and camera worn in a pendant-like mobile device. Both the
projector and the camera are connected to a mobile computing
device in the user’s pocket. The system projects information onto
the surfaces and physical objects around us, making any surface
into a digital interface; the camera recognizes and tracks both the
user's hand gestures and physical objects using computer-vision-
based techniques. SixthSense uses simple computer-vision
techniques to process the video-stream data captured by the
camera and follows the locations of colored markers on the user’s
fingertips (which are used for visual tracking). In addition, the
software interprets the data into gestures to use for interacting
with the projected application interfaces.

5. The Inventor: Biography
• “Pranav Mistry is a PhD student in the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT's
Media Lab. Pranav is passionate about integrating the digital
informational experience with our real world interactions. He holds a
Master in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT and Master of Design
from IIT Bombay. Pranav received his Bachelor degree in Computer
Engineering. Before joining MIT, He also worked with Microsoft as a
UX researcher. Designer, Engineer and Inventor, Pranav Mistry has
done many interesting projects. SixthSense is Pranav’s latest invention.
In some of his previous work, Pranav has attempted to make intelligent
sticky notes, Quickies, that can be searched, located and can send
reminders and messages; removed a pen’s tie with paper by giving it an
ability to draw in 3D and implemented TaPuMa, a tangible public map
that can act as Google of physical world. Pranav’s research interests
also include Gestural and Tangible Interaction, Ubiquitous Computing,
AI, Machine Vision, Collective Intelligence and Robotics.”

6. Quality of Living?
• This would make our quality of living much
better because it would cut down on the cost
of basic necessities such as cameras, laptops
etc.
• Everything would be at the tip of your fingers.

7. Ethical Implications
• Pros: cheap because it only took $350 to make
• Cons: people don’t like change and this might
be too big of a futuristic step for people

8. Appeals
Short Term Appeal: it isn’t fully developed
yet so the short term appeal isn’t likely
Long Term Appeal: they are already trying
to come up for a prototype to bring into the
classroom.

9. Lasting Potential?
I think this has lasting potential
because the pros outweigh the cons
and they are already making more
steps to future this product.

12. Works Cited
• Miller, Peter. Biologika. Photograph. 16 May 2010. Web. 16 November 2010. <http://moooonriver.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!
F50083AB13224D70!6716.entry>.
• "SixthSense: A Wearable, Gestural Interface to Augment Our World." MIT Media Lab. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://
www.media.mit.edu/research/highlights/sixthsense- wearable-gestural-interface-augment-our-world>.
• "Pranav Mistry." MIT Media Lab. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.media.mit.edu/people/pranav>.
• Sixthsense-pranav-mistry. Photograph. Theitechblog. 1 May 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.theitechblog.com/wp-
content/uploads/2010/01/sixthsense-pranav-mistry.jpg.>.
• Mit1.jpg. Photograph. Gadgetink. By Azmi. 9 Feb. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://gadgetink.simpur.net.bn/2009/02/
future-gadgets-wearable-projection.html>.
• Sixthsense_a1.jpg. Photograph. Aboutprojectors. 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.aboutprojectors.com/
news/2009/11/19/pranav-mistry-goes-in-depth-about-sixth-sense-system/>.