[Link] Untani.org

Today, I post a link of two basque guys dedicated to improve people's day to day life using new interfaces: Untani.org. Here are a pair of photos from their web:

[Video] New BumpTop version

BumpTop presents a new version of it's multitouch desktop interface. New gestures to make it more intuitive. According to BumpTop's website:

BumpTop™ is a fun, intuitive 3D desktop that keeps you organized and makes you more productive. Like a real desk, but better. Now with awesome mouse and multi-touch gestures!

[Video] Microsoft multi-touch mice

Microsoft presents some multi-touch mice, each one uses a different way to detect the fingers. Here's the video from engadget:

[Video] Some good ideas

R. Clayton Miller presents 10/GUI. It's a multiouch interface concept, with some good ideas. Here is th video:

10/GUI from C. Miller on Vimeo.

Finished multitouch table

Here are some pictures showing some building details of my FTIR multi-touch table. I've used an EnvironmentaLights' led reel, a 66x50x1cm acrylic surface, an Epson EMP-600 projector and a PeauProductions' modified PS3Eye camera.

Leds in contact with the acrylic

Some projection material tests

Detail of the power plug and the acrylic fixed in the tabletop.

Mirror and projector tests. The strucure that holds the mirror, the camera and the projector is build with Meccanno (R) :D

And here is the final build:

Lateral view

Projector+mirror+camera structure inside the main structure

Front view

New camera from peauproductions!!

Some days ago I've received a new camera from peauproductions and I've done some tests. I've compared my first camera (without its IR filter and with a overexposed and processed negative film as visible-light filter) and the new recieved (with the IR removed and the 850nm passband filter). Here are some results:

Flashlight tests:

Camera with negative film

Camera with IR pass band filter

With this test, I wanted to see if a light above the table could interfere the blob detection and extraction. It doesn't. :)

Projection tests:

Camera with negative film

Camera with IR pass band filter

As you can see, the IR pass band blocks all light from the projector, so there won't be any problem to detect the fingers while projecting application's output.

So, after these experiments, I would recommend to use a pass band filter for fully usable tables. But to play a little and to discover how FTIR works, a overexposed negative filter is good enough.

So new... and so old!!!

Please, wacth this video about HP-150. This was a computer with a touch screen build in 1983. It also had a micro floppy drive!!!