Coming: Computers That Feel

What would you say if your computer could suddenly feel sadness?  Or hear lullabies?  Or even peruse paintings in a gallery?

Intel says it's coming.  According to a story at smartplanet.com, "Intel’s venture capital arm has created a $100 million fund to finance projects and startups that will accelerate the development of computing devices with human-like senses," as Kirstin Korosec reports.

Intel calls it Intel Capital Experiences and Perceptual Computing Fund and it will invest the $100 million over the next two to three years into software and application development projects, "including broader touch applications, imaging, gesture, voice and emotion sensing and biometrics," Korosec quotes Intel Capital.

With its press release, Intel distributed a photo showing a marketing engineer using a 3-D camera mounted on top of an all-in-one computer screen to demonstrate hand gesture control.

Sadness and joy may still be somewhere far away but Intel may believe it's hot on the trail of a piece of hardware that can tell how you look in that dress, then comfort you.  


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