Well were do we begin, you probably are
reading this article thinking I am either totally mad or
have completely lost the plot, but I have not and I
intend to show you why.
I was inspired when I saw Tom Cruise in
the film Minority Report, using his hands in thin air to
control on screen information and move and pull
objects. It is been quite a while since that film and
slowly the technology to make this happen is not far
off, by this I mean we could end up seeing this in
action by the end of 2008,
Take a look at this clip from
the film if you need reminding of what I am talking
about.
There are advances in computing everyday
so why can we not behave like Tom using our hands to
move objects on screen and such. Well you soon will be
able to do this, just imagine the presentation
possibilities just to start, Now this is probably the
part were most of you would think I am short a few chips
in the brain, well I am not. So let me introduce you to
the technology that if put together right would make the
idea a reality. First up, let me introduce Microsoft
Thinsight
Microsoft Thinsight is something that
promises to deliver the minority report experience and
more, based on a multi touch technology that enables a
screen to recognise more than one touch area. First let
us tell you a bit about Thinsight
Thinsight is something currently
undergoing research in Cambridge, what makes Thinsight
special is the fact it enables you to completely control
the environment you are working with.
Researcher Shahram Izadi is behind this,
and I hope the project finishes up as fine as it is
looking at the moment. Here is info from his homepage.
ThinSight
This project explores a new technique for optical
sensing through thin form-factor displays. It allows for
detection of fingers and other physical objects close to
or on the display surface. This essentially allows us to
turn a regular LCD into a sensing surface that can be
used for multi-touch and tangible computing
applications. We are interested in both the underlying
hardware and software aspects of this approach as well
as the interaction techniques and application scenarios
it enables.
Applications and interaction
techniques for surfaces
We’ve been exploring novel application scenarios and
interaction techniques for surfaces including ThinSight
and the new Surface computer. Application-wise these
include VideoPlay, a tangible way of editing videos on a
tabletop, and FamilyArchive, a system which allows the
input and safe archiving of both digital and physical
media, and allows natural interaction with those media.
In terms of interaction techniques we are looking at new
ways of detecting and interacting with the Surface using
mobile devices, adding physics to UIs, and revisiting
the classic problem of scale, rotate and translate.
Right that’s the manipulation of the
images and a multi touch interface it is almost like
minority report, just on a smaller scale and you
actually have to touch the screen for things to happen.
The only thing about this is you need a hell of a lot of
screen to do this, so we are not quite there yet. So
what do we need to introduce, well Thinsight is great
but paired with a LightGlove (more on this later) could
work better if this was some how possible. Take a look
at Shahrams page
The second option is one of the
fantastic screens being built and developed over at
Visual Planet, Want a screen as big as the one in
minority report no problem.. Let me introduce Visual
planets screens.
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ViP Interactive
Poster - Through window
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ViP Interactive
Poster - Information point
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Yes the screen is really a sheet of
acrylic or a sheet of glass, This is down to the
touchscreen foil they have developed, From this clear
touch foil... here it is in action
To this 100-inch touch screen
experience
And this...
Through wood laminate, touch table using four 67-inch
ViP Interactive foils...
To these through-window touch
experiences with the ViP Interactive foil attached
directly to the window...
40-inch LCD touch solution
Through-window rear projection
touch solution
Touch foil integrated into LCD
unit, Touch made easy
Interactivity specification
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Detection Method:
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Projected Capacitance technology using
horizontal vertical wires
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Screen Sizes:
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40”- 80” 4:3 40”-100”16:9 as standard, other
sizes available on request
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Fixing options:
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Removable and permanent options available
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Position accuracy:
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Approximately 3 mm absolute, 1 mm relative. No
drift
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Alignment:
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Software drivers provide a calibration facility
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Sensitivity:
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Can be programmed for different thickness of
glass and even use with gloved hands. Standard
configuration functions with non-metallised.
single construction glass 16mm thick. Double
glazing option up to 25mm available*.
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Speed of response:
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Depends upon glass thickness. Typically 50 to
100ms
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Output:
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RS232C communications to a 9 pin D female
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Software Compatibility:
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Drivers are available for Windows Operating
Systems
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Temperature range:
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Better than -10 to +70°C
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Humidity Controller:
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0% to 95%. Unaffected by condensation
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Light Transmission:
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Typically better than 93%.
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EMC:
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EN55022:1998 + A1 + A2 EN55024:1998 + A1 + A2
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
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* Double glazing option In this mode we
recommend only touch not the touch and drag function.
The drag functionality is limited due to the reduction
of the scan rate to achieve the touch function through
thicker materials
Due to the variation in double
construction glass Visual Planet recommend testing with
a foil during the survey of each individual is
impossible to guarantee the foil will function in all
cases.
Product construction
Here take a look at this
example video here to see it in action
here
As you can see from the info above any
size is really possible, to find out more about visual
planets screens visit
http://www.visualplanet.biz/
With all this technology and multi touch
interfaces the minority report computer experience is
almost complete, the only problem really is we need to
be able to do all this without touching the screen,
multi touch, with a Visual planet screen… something is
missing… Step forth the Light glove the last addition to
the reality. Which if applied right could take out the
need to touch.
I have been following the light glove
for a while now and have seen it go through 3 phases to
get to the product that will be available this year and
I am certainly looking forward to hopefully getting my
hands on one in the future… the light glove is certainly
something I could see put to very good use, be it
medical, design, and even gaming. What is the light
glove well here is a video to show you.
Quote from light glove site
“ Imagine sitting on your sofa and turning on the TV
without a remote. Next you open the onscreen menu to
select either checking email, watching the news or
playing a DVD.
Using a small wireless device worn on the underside
of your wrist, you merely extend your finger into a beam
of light to push a "light button" to control your
electronics.”
Well I can imagine it now to be honest, take a look
here http://www.lightglove.com/ as you
can see this is expected to be ready for purchase in Q1
of this year so we could all be using a computer
differently to the way we do now in a few years. But for
now we are so close I am dreaming minority report… geeky
or what !!!!
Now I believe computing is really about to turn a new
corner in the not to distance future with the interfaces
and such we have seen in this article here, the future
of computing is only a few stepping stones away….. keep
watching in anticipation for the technology to become a
reality.
R.Bowzer
Editor