It’s about time the disco ball got an upgrade, and who better to do it then Microsoft? I know, that’s a weird question.

All big tech companies spend billion in research and development, hoping to come up with the next big thing, or just come up with something nifty that may be nothing more than a proof of concept that can be used as a launch-pad for other developments.

Microsoft’s R&D department is one of the biggest out there, and they come up with all kinds of fun stuff that, for better or for worse, never see life outside of the lab itself. Other research does actually lead to consumer products such as the Kinect.

One of the things I’ve always liked about the research done by Microsoft is it uses consumer-grade technology to create some amazing things, and they’ve done it again with what they are calling “The Cube.”

Photo credit: Engadget

As you can see, that’s exactly what it is; a giant, interactive cube. People stand around it, and wave their arms around and dance and move and whatever else you do in front of a big interactive cube, and digital doppelgangers display on the sides (really the inside) of the cube and can do various fun things.

And it’s all built with standard tech. A few Kinects (which need to be put to good use) and Benq projectors in the base, and you’re good to go. I don’t know if it will have any practical application outside of the lab, other than perhaps in a commercial venture of some kind, but it’s a pretty neat thing to see for a start.

Here’s the video talking about it and showing a brief demo.