Virtual Gala Party by Beng-Kiang Tan, John Middendorf, Shiro Matsushima

How it works:

• The mobile life size Plasma Screen exactly maps the movement of remote person. It tracks the position of the actual person (by sensors mapping the tracking glove) and moves and rotates the Plasma Screen accordingly.
• The mobile plasma screens represents a remote person's physical presence, and is the eye, hand, ear and mouth of the remote person..
• Video camera around the perimeters of each room captures images of participants and montages front and back images of each person on the front and the back of the remote plasma screen, adjusting for the position and orientation of the actual person.
• In communication, a handshake, a touch of the arm are important gestures to feel connected. The Plasma Screen has a robotic sensor sensitive hand. The information is fed to the remote person's glove. The person can feel the touch from the glove.

Animation (avi file)