A handheld device with a color camera and wireless Internet connectivity is known as an infoscope. The infoscope is used to capture text in a language that the user does not understand. The image is then sent to a remote computer, where it is converted to text, translated, and returned to the handheld device in about 15 seconds. Although this device is still in the prototype stage, it is expected to be available to the general public by 2010. The infoscope was created by IBM’s Almaden Research Center and was originally conceived by researcher Ismail Haritaoglu while waiting for the subway in Tokyo. TIME named the device one of the Best Inventions of 2002.
The device’s current prototype supports English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese. The device is being hailed as a pioneer in the field of augmented reality, in which the experience of everyday reality is enhanced by the addition of virtual data. Future infoscope models may include a microphone and speaker that can translate spoken language in real time. Such an invention could quickly dismantle the cultural barriers that currently exist between nations and cultures around the world.
The ubiquitous presence of wireless networks, which is still lacking in 2005, contributes to the usefulness of the infoscope. Certain countries and cities, on the other hand, have recognized the enormous value of ubiquitous wireless networks, and many have plans to deploy them in major metropolitan areas before 2015.
Another idea is to use the infoscope with “virtual Post-Its,” which are notes left by other infoscope users and “tagged” to various buildings, objects, or locations. A central server could keep track of updated archives of virtual post-its and their locations, making them available to other infoscope users on demand and allowing them to add their own comments. This would result in a rich tapestry of real/virtual world interaction, blurring the lines between the two. Even humans may eventually be tagged with virtual post-its, making it more difficult for people to escape bad reputations and allowing them to benefit more from good ones.