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back to article Microsoft tech turns any object into a touchscreen

Microsoft's research team has revealed a shoulder-mounted projector-cum-detector that can turn any surface in front of you into a gesture-sensitive display. The Wearable Multitouch Projector uses Kinect-like motion and depth cameras, as well as a pico projector, to let users turn any flat (ish) surface into a touchscreen. …

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  1. TeeCee Gold badge
    Coat

    "...turns any object into a touchscreen"?

    Brings a whole new meaning to "windows on arm" that.

    4 0
  2. Dave Wray
    Stop

    Is this actually new?

    I thought those smart whiteboards and those laser keyboards all include similiar technology? OK, it may work differently, but they track the fingers on something without embedded sensors....

    1 0
    1. Cliff
      Reply Icon

      Re: Is this actually new?

      They rely on things being a fixed distance away I think, this seems to create a model in 3D space, then does the same magic on top of it.

      0 0
  3. TRT Silver badge
    Big Brother

    I watched the video...

    was that a violation of an Apple patent I saw?

    1 2
    1. SteveK
      Reply Icon

      Re: I watched the video...

      "was that a violation of an Apple patent I saw?"

      No, you're OK for the moment. Apple haven't yet been granted the patent on watching a video.

      12 0
  4. Miek

    Perhaps they could create a parrot-shaped box for the shoulder mounted matey. Yarr

    5 0
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well...

    It's Microsoft so will it crash all the time?

    0 6
    1. I. Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects
      Reply Icon
      Facepalm

      Re: Well...

      Curses!

      I wanted to be first with the windscreen of death joke.

      Oh wait, isn't this the one about Ford?

      Why is the Fail icon red?

      0 0
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    shoulder-mounted projector-cum-detector! O realy

    "shoulder-mounted projector-cum-detector", Fairly sure this was something the porn industry had already done, But I might be getting mixed up with the cum-projector-detector, shoulder mount edition.

    1 0
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: shoulder-mounted projector-cum-detector! O realy

      Here's another shot at it:

      ...not to be confused with the cum-projector-detector now in use by Facebook to filter user-posted images.

      This thing looks like something the Predator's nerdy brother uses to watch porn.

      1 0
    2. Euripides Pants
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      DAMN!

      Someone else beat me to the cum jokes!

      Guess that makes us all cum-entards...

      Mine's the one you don't want to touch.

      0 0
  7. Chris Hance
    Facepalm

    <-- The reboot "gesture" for the EM tech in the linked article.

    With this, we'd have to settle for "Bash head here to reboot." Depression in the wall indeed.

    0 0
  8. AlexH
    Holmes

    Didn't MIT do something really similar a few years back? Their implementation was about the size of a large mobile phone which was hung from the wearer's neck like a pendant.

    Here it is: http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense/

    1 0
    1. anon9045839452
      Reply Icon
      Go

      6th sence

      too bad MIT didnt come out with it sooner. M$ version of the tech looks quite bulky compared!

      0 0
  9. Gordon 10

    The future?

    Am I the only one who sees this as a fondle slab killer?

    Put the tech in a phone with a vertical stand and an angled Projector onto the desk and instant fondleslab.

    0 1
    1. Fryerman
      Reply Icon

      Fondle Slab Killer?

      Nope, I don't think so. The essence of a fondle slab is that you can -errr - fondle it. Of course it may see us stroking walls and tables, in which case will it have turned us into the tech equivalent of tree huggers...?

      0 0
  10. Graham Marsden
    Trollface

    Didn't I see something similar...

    ... in Predator?

    2 0
  11. wibbilus maximus
    Boffin

    They better hurry....

    .... they need this out in time for the release of windows 8 so people can actually use the Metro UI

    0 0
  12. Andrew Barratt

    crap

    I'm sure an indian guy from MIT had done something better than this on TED.... need to find the link..

    0 0
  13. Chris Clay
    Thumb Up

    good to microsoft trying new things, they might not be of much use at the moment but in years to come who nows

    0 0
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