Researchers at MIT develop a shape-shifting table surface [video]

[NickHolt]

I loved the 3-D plotting, that definitely sold me on entertainment value at least. I think at this stage its uses are fairly limited, but it's likely meant to be somewhat of a proof of concept at this point. Yeah the "car" they were "designing" was kind of silly, but smaller piston sizes and less "pixelation" may make something like that more feasible.

[Groxx]

So basically they made X-Men's pin-table-thing? Probably loads of fun, but honestly I'm having trouble seeing the use. Rolling a ball around through the internet isn't exactly a day-to-day event, and is probably better accomplished with a Sphero.

edit: finally watched the video. impressively well developed, and a lot faster than I've seen before. So yeah, with a lot better resolution, it could be a thing. I'm not finding much in the way of actual details of how it works ("linkages" = ?), but it seems like it could scale kinda decently. I still think macro-actuators to micro-display is not the way to go in this, though it's probably a lot easier to play with.

[huu]

"So they basically made a machine the size of a room to do calculations any fourth grader could do? Probably loads of fun, but honestly I'm having trouble seeing the use. Find the sum of 2 + 2 isn't exactly a day-to-day event, and is probably better accomplished with pen and paper."

Technology this nascent probably aren't the best subjects of this type of argument. I think we should wait and see what this can become.

[Oculus]

This is just a version 1.0, if not less. Imagine when the columns become much smaller and the amount of them increases. That coupled with higher resolution projectors can make for some real cool applications of the technology.

[zizee]

I've long thought that this sort of thing would be awesome for virtual reality applications. Add independently moving motorized ball bearings to the tips of each column and you could have an multi-directional treadmill with the ability to simulate different terrains.

[sixQuarks]

In 30 years, people will look back and think how primitive we were to be interacting through limited screens, keyboards, and input devices. Our natural human instinct is to interact by manipulating objects.

This type of interaction will be so natural and "obvious", that future generations will look at us as and shudder to think how we managed.

[AndrewKemendo]

This is amazing. I can see this changing the face of distant interaction by leaps and bounds.

We never cease to amaze.

[flashgordon]

Wow can you imagine a better Warhammer table!

[chm]

That is disruptive technology.