Zvanično, TouchWall je predstavljen kao vertikalni ekran osetljiv na dodir, koji radi bez spoljnih kablova i miša, zahvaljujući tome što laserski i infracrveni senzori reaguju na dodir prsta korisnika. Dokumenti, fotografije ili video datoteke jednostavno se pomeraju rukama po ekranu, a omogućene su i razne operacije sa slikama, uključujući i okretanje, prikaz iz različitih uglova i zumiranje.

TouchWall pokreće softver Plex koji se oslanja na Vistinu platformu. Tokom prezentacije korišćen je običan računar sa Vistom odnosno Plexom, 120 x 180 cm širok pleksiglas kao ekran, pozadinski projektor, infracrvena kamera i tri infracrvena lasera. S obzirom da je tek reč o prototipu vertikalnog računara, funkcionalnost je došla do karakteristika "pametne" prezentacione table i tu stala. Medjutim, sigurni smo da se neće tu i zadržati.

Gates je obećao da TouchWall neće zahtevati velika ulaganja, odnosno da njegova upotreba neće biti skupa.

This sensational interface was demonstrated by Bill Gates in Microsoft CEO Summit 2008, and is made with lasers and infrared. As incredible as it may seem, the TouchWall should not be launched as a commercial product by Microsoft

Below, there is a video with a demonstration of Microsoft TouchWall.

--
Fernando

Surface is a multi-touch and vision system that uses cameras to sense what is on the table, a coffee table to be exact, where it is and what it is doing.

Surface can determine, for example, if a cell phone is on the table and then interact with the phone in a variety of ways, such as pulling photos off of it.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.559517&w=425&h=350&fv=allowFullScreen%3Dtrue%26initVideoId%3D933742930%26servicesURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightcove.com%26viewerSecureGatewayURL%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightcove.com%26cdnURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fadmin.brightcove.com%26autoStart%3Dfalse]

TouchWall is a fundamentally simpler mechanical system, and is also significantly cheaper to produce. While Surface retails at around $10,000, the hardware to “turn almost anything into a multi-touch interface” for TouchWall is just “hundreds of dollars” says Sands.

TouchWall consists of three infrared lasers that scan a surface.

A number of activities can be done like scrolling though mixed media on a desktop with his hands, infinite zooming in and our, playing media, and even using a drawing tool to turn the entire screen into a whiteboard.

Microsoft is quick to say that they have no current plans to productize and sell TouchWall.

But the potential of the system is obvious where the future of our computing experience is less monitor/keyboard/mouse!

More info on TouchWall here.

In the meantime, since TouchWall is not commerically available - we can still review and purchase the Surface!

Watch a first-hand review by On 10 - it's very informative and at 20 mins long, i think it's worth watching.

After all these inventions, i think the credit still goes to Jeff Han, a research scientist at NYU, who came up with similar technology 2 years back.

This guy is my idol already!

HOWEVER, there are always sceptics.

And this is one of those around, from Sarcastic Gamer. I have no idea if you'll laugh or cry now.

As reported by CNet yesterday, the TouchWall is a six by four feet research prototype similar to the Surface desktop-based multi-touch interface the company has already demonstrated.

Where it differs – aside from in orientation – is the price. According to a quote published by CrunchGear from Microsoft's Director of Envisioning Ian Sands the system will be able to turn “almost anything into a multi-touch interface” for “hundreds of dollars” - a far cry from Surface's $10,000 price tag.

The basic premise involves three lasers operating in the infra-red part of the spectrum and being monitored by an infra-red sensitive camera, with the image being provided by a bog-standard projector. In this way, it operates similarly to the open-source Cubit we reported on at the start of this month. Because the technology is so simple, there is no real limit to the size of the multi-touch interface – given a powerful enough projector and a big enough wall it would be possible to create a TouchWall you'd need a ladder to use.

Interestingly, despite the low cost of parts to develop the technology, Microsoft has no immediate plans to commercialise the system. Whether this is due to the company concentrating on the more technically impressive Surface – which offers identification and communication with Surface-enabled devices that are plonked down on the desktop – or just that it doesn't want to compete in a market where the barrier to entry is so low, I don't know.

If you want to see the tech in action, CrunchGear has a video along with some excellent pictures.

Tempted to play your favourite games with a wall-sized multi-touch interface, or is this technology unlikely to get much use outside of educational environments? Share your thoughts over in the forums.

Viendo Surface y ahora TouchWall, comprobamos que Microsoft no anda ni mucho menos dormida en este nuevo aspecto de las interfaces táctiles, pero queremos que se animen y lo prueben de forma definitiva en teléfonos móviles y por qué no, en sus sistemas operativos.

Via | Microsoft Watch

Signed,

The Addicted

O TouchWall é uma tecnologia da Microsoft que permite que você transforme uma parede vertical translúcida em uma superfície sensível ao toque, e que lembra muito a tela usada por Tom Cruise em Minority Report.

Esta interface sensacional foi demonstrada ontem por Bill Gates no Microsoft CEO Summit 2008, e é feita com lasers e infravermelho. Por mais incrível que pareça, a TouchWall não deve ser lançada como um produto comercial pela Microsoft.

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Redação Digital Drops

Essas coisas sim que deviam estar no mercado! Isso é uma evolução! Há um tempo atrás, quando falávamos de algo parecido com Minority Report, a gente dava risada e falava que só em 2100, ou bem no futuro.. :) Essas coisas só podiam estar nas mãos do Ti-tio Bill.. :/

TOUCHWALL, IL NUOVO SURFACE DI WINDOWS...

ALL'ULTIMO MAC DAY DOVEVANO SCRIVERE

-THERE'S MICROSOFT IN THE AIR-

Microsoft ha appena presentato Touchwall,ovvero traformare i nostri muri in computer touch. Dopo Surface in grado di traformare il nostro tavolo in computer touch( di cui vi ho già parlato qui),microsoft presenta questo nuovo prodotto che promette sarà meno costosto e alla portata di tutti. Surface,infatti,oggi costa ben 7500 Euro !!

Touchwall si presente come un pannello di 1,20m x 1,80m equipaggiato con un sistema operativo che utilizza una tecnologia laser per rilevare gli input tattili.

Questa è solo la presentazione...chissà quando uscirà se sarà veramente cosi economico come promettono(comunque non penso sotto i 2000 euro)..per il Surface abbiamo aspettato quasi un anno (da maggio 2007 data della presentazione a aprile 2008 data dell'uscita in commercio)e per questa nuova meraviglia?

Cosa ne pensate?Come vi immaginate la vostra casa tra 10 anni?

Most azonban MS előrukkolt a TouchWall nevű produktummal, ami két dolog miatt érdekes:

1. Függőleges helyzetben használható, tehát a falra lehet szerelni vagy lábakra állítani.
2. A Surface kb. 10 000 ropis árával szemben ennek csak "pár száz" dollár lesz az ára. Tehát költségkímélőbb.

A HW alatt a Plex nevű szoftver zümmög, ami a Vista egy speciális változata. A kijelzője jelenleg 4x6 láb (1,22 x 1,83m).

Amúgy nem tudom ki tudta-ki nem, de már open source kezdeményezés is létezik a multi-touch technológiák és eszközök fejlesztésére.

A TouchWall akcióban:

Aki még nem látta, a Surface akcióban:

És egy Surface paródia, mert csütörtök van és az majdnem hétvége és akkor vidámak vagyunk:

Τι είναι το TouchWall; Αν είχατε δει την ταινία Minority Report ( βίντεο ), θα θυμάστε τον Tom Cruise να μετακινεί φακέλους, έγγραφα και βίντεο πάνω σε μια διάφανη επιφάνεια. Δεν χρησιμοποιούσε πάντα την αφή ωστόσο το TouchWall είναι κάτι παρόμοιο. Μια από φθηνό υλικό επιφάνεια που λειτουργεί ως οθόνη, πάνω στην οποία με τη βοήθεια αισθητήρων, κάποιος με την αφή μπορεί να εκτελέσει βασικές λειτουργίες ( με touch και multitouch ), όπως εμφάνιση εγγράφων, παρουσιάσεων, βίντεο, φωτογραφίες και άλλα. Μιλώ για βασικές λειτουργίες καθώς προς το παρόν το TouchWall περιορίζεται στην εμφάνιση δεδομένων...για παράδειγμα δεν υπάρχει η δυνατότητα διόρθωσης ενός εγγράφου.

Η βασική αρχή είναι η εξής: μια φτηνή επιφάνεια, όπως ένα κομμάτι plexiglass μπορεί να μετατραπεί σε μια touch screen με τη χρήση ενός projector και της τεχνολογίας laser. Ο projector εμφανίζει στην επιφάνεια αυτό που θα εμφάνιζε μια οθόνη...ενώ ένα "δίχτυ" από laser ελέγχει, εντοπίζει και παρέχει δεδομένα στο software για τα αγγίγματα που πραγματοποιεί ο χειριστής. Το δίχτυ των ακτίνων laser εντοπίζει χαρακτηριστικές κινήσεις όπως το πλησίασμα δύο δαχτύλων...zoom out, την απομάκρυνσή τους...zoom in, το άγγιγμα...επιλογή, εμφάνιση, εκτέλεση π.χ. ενός βίντεο και άλλες. Υπάρχει επίσης η δυνατότητα χρήσης ενός δάχτυλου ως μαρκαδόρου, που μετατρέπει το TouchWall σε έναν πίνακα.

H Microsoft δίνει βαρύτητα περισσότερο στο ότι προχωρά στη δημιουργία μιας πολύ οικονομικής λύσης, παρά στην τεχνολογία που στηρίζει την λειτουργία του TouchWall. Και όντως η τεχνολογία που χρησιμοποιείται δεν είναι τίποτα καινούριο. Άλλες εταιρείες έχουν πραγματοποιήσει παρόμοια projects. Η διαφορά είναι βέβαια βασική. Η δυνατότητα της Microsoft να "επιβάλλει" τα προϊόντα της.

Δεν έχω να πω περισσότερα, μιας και υπάρχουν πολλά βίντεο που θα δώσουν απάντηση στις περισσότερες απορίες σας:

Παρουσίαση του TouchWall από την Bill Gates στην Microsoft CEO Summit 2008:
[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.551330&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] from www.youtube.com

Βίντεο του TechCrunch:

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.551348&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod

Περισσότερα μπορείτε να διαβάσετε στη σελίδα Touchwall: Microsoft’s Inexpensive Wall-Based Multi-Touch Interface

The TouchWall comprises integrated hardware that includes laser and infrared lights that recognize the touch of fingertips on the screen through the embedded Plex software. A Microsoft representative declined to offer any details about whether or when TouchWall might be available commercially – though during its presentation Bill Gates said he expects the technology to someday be used on a daily basis by businesses and in the home. Until that day comes, we’ll have to settle with watching a video of the TouchWall in action.