Some folks at the New York based Eyebeam have created an open-source multi-touch platform to rival Microsoft’s $10,000+ Surface. The project, called Cubit, includes plans (or kits) to build the cube-like device and a software platform to develop applications for it. You must add your own web-cam and projector, which the creators say can run about $500-$1000 for all necessary parts. The software uses the webcams to detect infrared light reflected when a user touches their finger to the “screen”. This is the the same technique MS used for Surface, their own proprietary multi-touch technology. However Eyebeam’s open-source solution clocks in at about 1/10th of the price.

Although Apple seems to gather a lot of praise for their multi-touch “innovation” on the iPhone, this technology has been around for a while. One such product that I’ve owned was the iGesture Pad which was released back in 2003. It looked like an over-sized touchpad and supported all types of gestures. Wave your hand to close a program, pinch a file and drag it to copy and paste, use both hands to resize windows, etc. It worked pretty well, and had more advanced programmable multi-touch options 5 years ago than the iPhone/iTouch have today. Yet it floundered on the market and now its discontinued and the company’s gone. The lesson for today: its not how good your idea is. Its all how you market it.

link: Open-Source, Multitouch Display [TechnologyReview] // via: KurzweilAI

Tags: Hardware, Human Interface, Open-Source //