The Walkman and Watchman seem laughably primitive when compared with the CAIVman-short for Computer Audio Interactive Video Manipulator.
The hand-held, multimedia disc player is still just a brilliant idea and a nonworking prototype executed by Christopher Conley, 22, a grad student at the Illinois Institute of Technology. But CAIVman seems to have enormous potential.
With it Conley recently won Sony`s national Design a Vision contest, which seeks innovations in electronics for children. His prize: a $5,000 scholarship, a trip to Sony`s design center in Tokyo, a CD player and a TV set.
His device would project digital information from compact laser discs into binocular-like eyepieces. Earphones would pick up more information from the disc soundtrack, and a computer-mouse-like ball attached to the top would enable students to call up yet more detail.
”Users will be able to access video images, soundtrack and text,”
Conley said. ”While watching a video about the Space Shuttle, for example, the student might position the cursor on a picture of the cabin, click the button and then read all about the living quarters for the crew.”
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Sony introduced the small ”hypermedia” discs a few weeks ago, intending them only for bulky computer monitors. If Conley`s idea proves workable, kids may one day carry CAIVmen under their arms instead of books.