Search
  • Videos
  • 5G Guide
  • Windows 10
  • Cloud
  • AI
  • Security
  • TR Premium
  • more
    • Build a Website
    • Enterprise Software
    • Hardware
    • Innovation
    • Best Smartphones
    • Executive Guides
    • Best VPN Services
    • Web Hosting
    • See All Topics
    • White Papers
    • Downloads
    • Reviews
    • Galleries
    • Videos
    • TechRepublic Forums
  • Newsletters
  • All Writers
    • Preferences
    • Community
    • Newsletters
    • Log Out
  • Menu
    • Videos
    • 5G Guide
    • Windows 10
    • Cloud
    • AI
    • Security
    • TR Premium
    • Build a Website
    • Enterprise Software
    • Hardware
    • Innovation
    • Best Smartphones
    • Executive Guides
    • Best VPN Services
    • Web Hosting
    • See All Topics
    • White Papers
    • Downloads
    • Reviews
    • Galleries
    • Videos
    • TechRepublic Forums
      • Preferences
      • Community
      • Newsletters
      • Log Out
  • us
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Europe
    • India
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    • ZDNet around the globe:
    • ZDNet China
    • ZDNet France
    • ZDNet Germany
    • ZDNet Korea
    • ZDNet Japan

Turn any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

1 of 9 NEXT PREV
  • 610-omnitouch-1.jpg

    Researchers from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University have shown off technology that can turn any surface into a touchscreen.

    The OmniTouch is a wearable device that projects a graphical user interface, such as a computer desktop or a virtual keypad, onto any surface, from a table to a hand. Users can interact with these virtual interfaces using their fingers, which are tracked by sensors built into OmniTouch, in the same way they would use a touchscreen.

    The prototype technology is on display at UIST 2012, the Association for Computing Machinery's 24th Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, that is being held in Santa Barbara, California.

    Nick Heath from silicon.com provides the captions.

    Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

     

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • 610-omnitouch-2.jpg

    OmniTouch is designed to be wearable. The prototype is a shoulder-mounted device made up of a laser-based pico projector and a depth-sensing camera, similar to that found in the Microsoft Kinect.

    The OmniTouch uses the depth-sensing camera to build a graphical model of the world which allows it to calculate how far away objects are. The system's software can recognize fingers, and a depth map allows it to determine whether a finger is touching a surface. When a finger touches a surface onto which an interface is projected, users can interact with the screen, clicking buttons or dragging icons, in the same way they would with any other touchscreen.

    Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

     

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • 610-omnitouch-4.jpg

    The ability of the system to track finger movements allows it to support a wide range of gestures, such as drawing with fingers, as seen here.

    Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

     

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • 610-omnitouch-5.jpg

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • 610-omnitouch-6.jpg

    Because the system can trace the movement of fingers on any surface, it can be set up to recognize gestures such as pinch-zooming on a map.

    Microsoft Research Redmond researcher Hrvoje Benko said in a statement: "We wanted the ability to use any surface.

    "Let the user define the area where they want the interface to be, and have the system do its best to track it frame to frame. This creates a highly flexible, on-demand user interface."

    Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

     

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • 610-omnitouch-7.jpg

    Another potential use for OmniTouch is tracking the movement of fingers to highlight text in a printed document.

    Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

     

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • 610-omnitouch-8.jpg

    In this picture, the user is selecting apps from a menu on his hand which are then run on the interface projected onto the table.

    Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

     

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • 610-omnitouch-9.jpg

    Researchers say the wearable shoulder-mounted prototype could be reduced to a matchbox-sized device that could be worn on a watch or a pendant.

    Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

     

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

  • 610-omnitouch-10.jpg

    A shot showing how the system recognises and traces fingers.

    Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

     

    This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
    Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

    Caption by: Andy Smith

1 of 9 NEXT PREV
Andy Smith

By Andy Smith | October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT) | Topic: Innovation

  • 610-omnitouch-1.jpg
  • 610-omnitouch-2.jpg
  • 610-omnitouch-4.jpg
  • 610-omnitouch-5.jpg
  • 610-omnitouch-6.jpg
  • 610-omnitouch-7.jpg
  • 610-omnitouch-8.jpg
  • 610-omnitouch-9.jpg
  • 610-omnitouch-10.jpg

Researchers from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University have shown off technology that can turn any surface into a touchscreen.

Read More Read Less

Researchers from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University have shown off technology that can turn any surface into a touchscreen.

The OmniTouch is a wearable device that projects a graphical user interface, such as a computer desktop or a virtual keypad, onto any surface, from a table to a hand. Users can interact with these virtual interfaces using their fingers, which are tracked by sensors built into OmniTouch, in the same way they would use a touchscreen.

The prototype technology is on display at UIST 2012, the Association for Computing Machinery's 24th Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, that is being held in Santa Barbara, California.

Nick Heath from silicon.com provides the captions.

Photo: Microsoft Research/CMU

 

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com
Published: October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT)

Caption by: Andy Smith

1 of 9 NEXT PREV

Related Topics:

Innovation CXO Digital Transformation Tech Industry Smart Cities Cloud
Andy Smith

By Andy Smith | October 20, 2011 -- 10:48 GMT (03:48 PDT) | Topic: Innovation

Show Comments
LOG IN TO COMMENT
  • My Profile
  • Log Out
| Community Guidelines

Join Discussion

Add Your Comment
Add Your Comment

Related Galleries

  • 1 of 3
  • I 3D printed a Tesla Cybertruck because...why not?

    We have the technology. We can build it. We can make it better, smaller, and more plastic than the prototype demo. But we can be demo accurate, too. Our windows are as shattered as our ...

  • Python skills boom, in-demand jobs, self-driving cars, and more: Tech research round-up

    All the facts and figures that matter to you and your business from the past month in technology news.

  • In pictures: How Dell Technologies tests its rugged kit

    A sneak peak into the lab where the sole purpose is to get things to break.

  • The Nightmare in Silicon Valley: 8 horror technologies that should scare you to death

    Every night is fright night with what can happen once these scary technologies take hold in ways that you may not have imagined.

  • Windows tablets through the ages: The good, the bad and the ugly, in pictures

    A tour through some of most popular - and most unusual - Windows devices of the last two decades, from Tablet PCs to the Surface Duo.

  • Cool new products from USA CBD Expo 2019

    CBD Expo at the Miami Beach Convention Center has come and gone. Here are the best products and solutions for the hemp industry we saw at the show.

  • Cloud computing winners, IT security job salaries, 5G network plans: Tech research round-up

    All the data that matters to you from the past month in technology news.

ZDNet
Connect with us

© 2019 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Cookies | Ad Choice | Advertise | Terms of Use | Mobile User Agreement

  • Topics
  • All Authors
  • Galleries
  • Videos
  • Sponsored Narratives
  • About ZDNet
  • Meet The Team
  • Site Map
  • RSS Feeds
  • Reprint Policy
  • Manage | Log Out
  • Join | Log In | Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Site Assistance
  • ZDNet Academy
  • TechRepublic Forums