Skip to content

TechRepublic

  • Top Products Lists
  • AI
  • Developer
  • Payroll
  • Security
  • Project Management
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • Big Data
  • Tech Jobs
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Top Products Lists
  • AI
  • Developer
  • Payroll
  • Security
  • Project Management
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • Big Data
  • Tech Jobs
  • See All Topics
  • Sponsored
  • Newsletters
  • Forums
  • Resource Library
TechRepublic Premium
Join / Sign In
Hardware

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

By andy7718 October 20, 2011, 11:26 PM PDT

Image
1
of 9

610-omnitouch-1.jpg
610-omnitouch-1.jpg
Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

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

n

ntThe 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.

n

ntThe 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.

n

ntNick Heath from silicon.com provides the captions.

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

ntOmniTouch 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.

n

ntThe 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 recognise 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.

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

ntThe 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.

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

ntThe system can be set up to allow users to create touchscreen interfaces on any surface. For example, the system could be configured to recognise a finger being dragged diagonally, as seen here, as a gesture telling it to create a new interface on that surface. The size of the interface would correspond to the distance the finger is dragged.

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

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

n

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

n

nt”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.”

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

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

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

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

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

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

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

ntA shot showing how the system recognises and traces fingers.

n

ntPhoto: Microsoft Research/CMU

  • Hardware
  • Account Information

    Share with Your Friends

    Microsoft’s OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)

    Your email has been sent

Share: Microsoft's OmniTouch turns any surface into a touchscreen (photos)
Image of andy7718
By andy7718
  • Account Information

    Contact andy7718

    Your message has been sent

  • |
  • See all of andy7718's content

TechRepublic Premium

  • TechRepublic Premium

    Google Docs tips for advanced users

    None of these tips from TechRepublic Premium require a paid Google Workspace account, so anyone should be able to make use of them. You do, of course, need to have a Google account. From the guide: HOW TO PASTE WITHOUT FORMATTING I use this tip all the time. When you copy and paste text into ...

    Downloads
    Published:  June 8, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT Modified:  June 9, 2023, 8:04 AM EDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Google Chrome: Security and UI tips you need to know

    Google’s Chrome web browser held a 64.92% command of the global browser market share in April 2023. That means more users are working with Chrome in significantly more use cases: mobile, desktop and even business. Because of that, users of all types must employ Chrome with a measure of caution and intelligence. After all, most ...

    Downloads
    Published:  June 7, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT Modified:  June 8, 2023, 9:12 AM EDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Ergonomics policy

    A safe and healthy work environment provides the foundation for all employees to be at their most productive. Not only does it promote productivity in the workforce, but it also helps prevent accidents, lawsuits and, in extreme cases, serious injury and loss of life. A clear and robust ergonomic policy, like this one from TechRepublic ...

    Downloads
    Published:  June 7, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT Modified:  June 8, 2023, 7:58 AM EDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Enterprise IoT calculator: TCO and ROI

    Internet of Things devices serve a number of useful applications, such as environmental, asset or inventory monitoring/control, security functions, fitness devices and smartwatches. There is an array of IoT functions for both consumer and business purposes, but determining the total cost of ownership and the return on your enterprise investment in a widespread or large-scale ...

    Downloads
    Published:  June 6, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT Modified:  June 7, 2023, 9:15 AM EDT Read More See more TechRepublic Premium

Services

  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • RSS Feeds
  • Site Map
  • Site Help & Feedback
  • FAQ
  • Advertise
  • Do Not Sell My Information

Explore

  • Downloads
  • TechRepublic Forums
  • Meet the Team
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Resource Library
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • TechRepublic
  • TechRepublic on Twitter
  • TechRepublic on Facebook
  • TechRepublic on LinkedIn
  • TechRepublic on Flipboard
© 2023 TechnologyAdvice. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Property of TechnologyAdvice