Intel and Nokia team up to begin work on open 3D interface for MeeGo

Chipmaker Intel and mobile phone leader Nokia Tuesday announced their partnership has extended into research and development, in a collaboration expected to last three years, and focus on future telecommunications solutions.

The first project will be aimed at creating user interfaces for mobile devices that are "more similar to interactions in the real world," and take advantage of the increased power of small, pocketable devices.

Since the MeeGo mobile operating system is the result of Intel's Moblin and Nokia's Maemo combining, Intel Tuesday said it will provide the greatest flexibility for 3D development. In keeping with MeeGo's ethos, much of the laboratory's research in this area will also be open source.

In one of the more science-fictiony areas of development, Intel says research may be done on portable holography so consumers can see a 3D projection of the person they're speaking to.

The Oulu laboratory where Intel and Nokia will be conducting research has a strong community of 3D developers, and the open source virtual reality platform realXtend was a product of work done there. Shown in the video below is Virtual Expo by LudoCraft, which is built upon the realXtend platform.

"3-D technology could change the way we use our mobile devices and make our experiences with them much more immersive," Rich Green, Senior vice president and chief technical officer at Nokia said Tuesday. "Our new joint laboratory with Intel draws on the Oulu research community's 3-D interface expertise, and over time will lay down some important foundations for future mobile experiences."