Clifford A.Pickover

"We live in an age where there is increasing interplay between scientific and artistic disciplines. In the next decade, almost all advances in science and art will rely partly on the computer and advanced technology. Moreover, humans will not be able to rely on any single field of knowledge to make significant advances...

If Leonardo da Vinci were alive today, would he forsake canvas and brush for a computer terminal? Even if Leonardo could not obtain funding from the National Science Foundation or the National Endowment for the Arts, he could -with just a personal computer - crate, manipulate, and store fairly sophisticated art works. Colors could be mixed and chosen from a palate of millions of different hues. Screen resolution could emulate the grit of the canvas. His colleagues from around the world would receive his images over their phone lines for their comment and collaboration. Probably; Leonardo would spend a large amount of his time inventing entirely new computer input devices to substitute for today's standard mouse, such as a (mechanical) exoskeleton. These devices would allow him to precisely emulate his own masterful brush strokes, the viscosity and drip of wet paint, or a chisel chipping away at an imaginary chunk of shiny marble. Within the next decade, personal computers will feature hands-on manipulation of computer-generated images along with tactile sensations and force feedback. Artists such as Leonardo will work within and artificial reality, where computer sensors measure the position of the head, and track eye and hand movements. Voice recognition programs will allow Leonardo to make voice requests, and special goggles will allow him to peer into colorful new worlds limited only by computers, and the imagination."

Clifford A. Pickover