This article was published on March 8, 2011

Microsoft Research cooks up new tool to help anyone draw like a pro


Microsoft Research cooks up new tool to help anyone draw like a pro

Ever tried to draw something only to have it turn out like a bad mixture of Pollock and Picasso, but without the talent? If so, you are probably just about normal when it comes to artistic talent. Your humble author is no better.

Microsoft Research, ever the pinnacle of potentially profitable projects has a new tool that, if released, might help us doodling scrubs sketch something worth sharing. Called ShadowDraw, the app has a database of more than 30,000 images on file that it matches with what you are drawing. Then it offers suggestions to help you draw the next line.

Take a head and shoulders for example. If you draw a head shaped oval, ShadowDraw will suggest eyes and a nose. The more you draw, the more it suggests. Watch the clip below to see it in action. After the video we’ll talk about how many high school students out there could truly use something like this to pass art class.

Like we said before, this application is something that we could have used in classes past. And yet, this sort of predictive image generation could have larger use than just helping kids not fail assignments; it could be used to suggest anything, provided enough banked data, that involves creation on a touch screen.

Sure, it’s a bit rudimentary right now, but as Microsoft continues to punch along the path to a NUI (natural user interface) future, expect to see more projects like ShadowDraw.

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