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Smart Ebook System from KAIST improves page-turning experience

Smart Ebook System from KAIST improves page-turning experience

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A prototype for more convenient ebook navigation has been demonstrated in a video from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. The technology uses multitouch gestures to emulate the turning of pages in a real book.

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kaist ebook demo
kaist ebook demo

Ebooks may be the future, but paper still has the edge in a few key areas — not least, speed and usability. A research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is trying to bridge that gap, however, with new page-turning technology that'll let you skim and flip through the contents of a book at your own pace. Features demonstrated on an iPad include turning multiple pages at once based on dragging time, and the ability to flip through upcoming pages while holding your place at another. While KAIST claims it's more convenient than paper-based books, we're not so sure that the gestures are as immediately obvious to the novice user. It's definitely a cool demo, though, and KAIST has filed 11 patents for it in Korea and abroad. The company does note that its prototype has been implemented with a private Apple API, so don't expect it to show up in the App Store without a bit of tweaking.