A lot of us book lovers still have a affinity for printed books versus virtual ones. Going to bookstores, holding the books and browsing through them is part of the experience and a really important part of the selection process. However, I’ve noticed that some bookstores are making this more and more difficult by having a “no private reading policy” and keeping their books wrapped in plastic. And I can see why book stores would be doing this as it is a way for them to protect the books from being mishandled. This is why the hack we’re featuring today can be a good compromise for bookstores and their patrons.
This is an interesting hack utilizing openFrameworks and OpenCV in conjunction with the Kinect – an interactive book showcase that lets people browse books on the display! As the video will show, the books rain down on the screen and people are free to select which books they’d like to browse through. And yes, once they’ve selected the book, they can virtually flip through the pages and review the content.
I think aside from giving people the opportunity to see what’s inside the books, it’s a creative way to market products and could add to the overall experience of going to a bookstore.
