Sony showcased the voice-powered Bluetooth headset concept N and a prototype projector that can detect gestures on a flat surface, essentially capable of turning any table into a touch-sensitive display.
Right off the bat, Interactive Tabletop uses a combination of depth and motion-tracking sensors to analyze any object placed on the covered area.
The concept was demonstrated at the 2016 South by Southwest (SXSW), where The Verge got a good close look at it.
One of the objects placed on the surface was a teacup. The device was then able to detect it and even bring up information about it such as its depth. What was more notable in the presentation was how it brought a storybook to life. When the Sony representative opened a copy of Lewis Caroll's "Alice In Wonderland" within the zone, animations popped right up, and they can be used to interact with the aforementioned teacup and a deck of playing cards.
Meanwhile, N is more than just a Bluetooth headset that responds to voice commands, as it's fitted with an 8-megapixel camera and GPS functionality. What's more, it's not like ordinary headphones because it's placed around the wearer's neck instead of around their head. While it already has speakers, it's compatible with bone-conduction, open earphones, which is similar to AfterShokz.
In collaboration with AccuWeather, Strava and Yelp, Sony loaded N with the ability to provide certain information via voice command. That means the wearer can ask for the weather condition or a recommended nearby restaurant, but on top of that, it can also take a picture when asked to. The camera is tucked away in the right portion of the headset, and it only reveals itself when it's going to take a picture.
It should be noted that these come from Sony's Future Lab, so it might be far from being a consumer product any time soon, particularly the projector. However, in the case of N, it seems to be a perfectly viable device to market in the foreseeable future.
