Following the success of the Intel-Nokia Linux project collaboration that brought us MeeGo, the two companies are at it again, officially opening the Intel and Nokia Joint Innovation Center today.
The joint laboratory will be a part of Intel’s European Research Network, Intel Labs Europe. The lab will initially conduct research for new and compelling mobile user experiences that could leverage the rapidly increasing capabilities of mobile devices. Creating interfaces that are more similar to interactions in the real world can enable experiences that are more natural and intuitive, in the same way that modern games and movies are more immersive through the use of realistic 3-D graphics.
The new lab is well aligned with the MeeGo open source platform recently launched by Intel and Nokia. MeeGo provides the greatest flexibility for developing new 3-D experiences on mobile devices as much of the lab’s research activity will also be open source.
Will this venture bring us closer to a phone that is capable of displaying a 3-D hologram of the person you are talking to? I hope so. Consumers will feel more involved and engaged with their mobile experience than with current methods.
“œThis new joint research facility is built on the strong relationship between Intel and Nokia, and by focusing our first research project on graphical 3-D technology we’re demonstrating our commitment to developing truly original mobile interfaces,” said Rich Green, Nokia senior vice president and chief technology officer.
The lab will be located at the Center for Internet Excellence at the University of Oulu in Finland, and will work closely with the Oulu Urban Living Labs, which provide a unique environment for sensor research, testing and piloting technological and social innovations.