SixthSense Steve Mann

SixthSense describes a variety of wearable technologies (neckworn, headwork, wristworn, etc.), including a device that comprises a neckworn pendant containing both a camera and a data projector capable of projecting onto 3D subject matter such as the wearer's own hands or other 3D objects in front of the wearer.The projector + camera combination
augments the physical world with computer-generated/mediated content and allows the wearer to interact using a Natural User Interface (e.g. hand gestures or real physical objects) to interact with that content.
It was invented by Steve Mann, and, later, further refined (and popularized) by Pranav Mistry, both Mann and Mistry being PhD students in the MIT Media Lab.

History

SixthSense originated as a variety of wearable technologies including headworn, neckworn, wristworn, etc., including the neckworn projector+camera system developed by Media Lab student Steve Mann[1]. Mann originally referred to these wearable technologies as "Synthetic Synesthesia of the Sixth Sense"[3][4]. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Mann used this project as a teaching example, and taught several hundred students how to build the neckworn SixthSense system, as part of the undergraduate teaching curriculum at University of Toronto[5]. In the 1990s the early aremac did vector graphics rather than raster graphics[2], but a raster graphics version based on a miniature wearable micromirror projector was developed in 2001, which could project onto the wearer's hands, other objects, or the floor or ground in front of the wearer, so that it could work with hand gestures or foot gestures

SIXTH SENSE TECHNOLOGY

Then his work was carried forward by Pranav Mistry (Ph.D student in the Fluid Interfaces Group at the MIT Media Lab).
Pranav Mistry the devices used in Sixth sense technology are camera, colour marker, mobile component, projector.
Camera acts as a digital eye
i.e it connects the physical world to digital world 
It tracks the hand gestures and sends the information to smart phone.

Colour Markers

It is at tip of users finger.
These markers help the web cam to recognize the hand gestures of user.

How the idea came in mind ?

objects~gestures
How can we leverage our knowledge about everyday objects and how can we use them to interaction with digital world ?
Steve Mann is considered as the father of Sixth Sense Technology who made wearable computer in  1990.

MIRROR

The usage of the mirror is significant as the projector dangles pointing downwards from the neck. 

SMART PHONE

A Web-enabled smart phone in the user’s pocket processes the video data
Other software searches the Web and interprets the hand gestures

PROJECTOR

The projector projects visual information enabling surfaces and physical objects to be used as interfaces