Check out this cool multitouch game (via Interactive Multimedia Technology):

Multitouch Space Invaders! from multitouch-barcelona on Vimeo.

Andrew Kun

We have already reported on the arrival of the TouchKit as well as on its initial run. This time, we present our sturdy new mounting solution for the whole system. We have accomodated the display screen of the TouchKit in the middle of a hollow desktop. Here is the author with the solution.

It can be noticed that the TTT is tilted. This allows easier manipulation by a single user either by standing in front of the screen or sitting on a higher chair. The tilt angle is adjustable. The TTT can also lie flat which would allow easier information sharing around the table. The tabletop is mounted using hinges and a simple prop-up mechanism shown in the following image.

The table itself is a standard office desk which was customized for our needs.
Besides for running TouchKit projects, this setup can also be used for TouchKit development. The image below shows the mount of a keyboard and mouse on the tilted table, which provide a basic development environment.

Further action plans include buying and installing a short-throw projector device, which could be mounted onto the bottom of the tabletop. This would allow the screen to be lowered to a horizontal position and still have a maximum projection window size.

Let me know below, if you have any comments on the solution. Thanks,

Oszkar Palinko

After a couple of days fighting with scarce documentation, the TouchKit project, which I have written about here, is finally operational. It was tested with a helloworld and a drawing application, which came with the system. Here, you can see my colleague Mark operating the touch screen, which reacts by putting a red circle at every location where the fingers touch the display. The size of the circles depend on the amount of force exerted. Very nice!

We have also tested how the system works in dark. It seems that there is not much difference, since the TouchKit camera reacts only to infra-red light. The system appears to be fairly robust in this sense. Here, Matt is experimenting with the multi-touch display:

The installation process was a little bit bumpy, because it is described on the TouchKit web site in a concise manner. After “googling” and downloading the drivers for the firewire camera, the exemplar code had to be edited before it became functional with the hardware. The TouchKit Forum was very helpful in keeping me on the right track.

After the basic functionality of the system was proven, Mark Taipan, Matt Lape (receivers of the SURF award, and distinguished P54 undergrad students) and I figured out, that the temporary screen clamping setup and camera mount are not robust enough to operate the system easily: if any part of the system (screen, projector, camera) moves, it has to be recalibrated. Therefore we began brainstorming about possible mounting solutions. For starts, we came up with a horizontal table-top mount which would allow the system to be securely fastened. Here is Matt with the proposed TouchKit stand:

It would be useful if the table would be “tiltable” for different applications. We are working on modeling and designing such a solution. Further results will follow here, on eceblogger.

Thanks to Matt and Mark for their help!

Oszkar Palinko

Check out this video showing the Microsoft Surface in Sheraton hotels:

Apparently there’s one in Boston, and it looks like it’s the Sheraton next to the Prudential.

[via Interactive Multimedia Technology]

Andrew Kun

Our lab has recently acquired a TouchKit development system. It serves as a basic building block for creating multi-touch screen user interfaces. The TouchKit consists of an infra-red illuminated projection screen and a FireWire camera board. A projector has to be added to complete the system. Here is the initial setup:

The image shows the projection screen in front which is held upright by an improvised clamping board on its right side. The projector throws the image onto the screen from the back, allowing the user to interact from the front. In this initial setup the camera board is mounted on a box and connected to a PC using FireWire. The system has a really interesting principle of operation: as the user touches the front of the screen, the infra-red illumination coming from the inside of the screen changes. This change is picked up by the camera and is further processed by the software API, which is based on the OpenFrameworks C++ library.

Multi-touch user interfaces have become more popular recently with the introduction of technologies like Microsoft Surface, iPhone and CNN’s Magic Wall created by Peceptive Pixel Inc. The last one claims to be the most advanced multi-touch user interface. Here is a video showing its impressive capabilities.

We are still in the process of setting up and configuring our TouchKit system. We will post more information about it here when it becomes operational. Once this is done, it will be a great asset for students in the UbiComp course this fall at UNH taught by Prof. Andrew Kun. Students will be developing innovative user experiences based on the TouchKit as part of their course projects.

Oszkar Palinko

Check out this post by Todd Bishop, and the very interesting video. It talks about the Microsoft Sphere, an adaptation of the multitouch Microsoft Surface to a spherical display, using Global Imagination hardware.

Andrew Kun

TouchKit fabrication prototype (check!), originally uploaded by stfnix.

Apparently the folks at Nortd are getting closer to shipping some TouchKits. The picture above was just posted on June 27. This looks like a good size screen!

Andrew Kun