Searching for Multi-Touch Info? Drivers for Windows 7 Available from NextWindow & HP TouchSmart...More about N-Trig..Multi-Touch Resources

Multi-Touch News and Links

Next Window Releases Touch Screen Drivers for Microsoft Windows 7

"The technology to build multi-touch applications for next year's operating system is available today."

Pleasanton, CA (PRWEB) November 4, 2008 --

"NextWindow, the leader in optical touch technology, released a touch screen driver for Windows 7 developers this week. The introduction of multi-touch gestures to this operating system will generate applications giving users more flexibility when engaging with content."

"NextWindow introduced this technology at Microsoft's Professional Developer's Conference (PDC) in October and will be presenting it at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) November 4 - 6, 2008. At this event, NextWindow will be showcasing their latest in optical touch solutions including the integrated touch display found on the HP TouchSmart All-in-One computer."

"Providing a touch screen solution for Windows 7 will give end-users an intuitive method to interact with their computers," said Anthony Uhrick, VP of Sales, NextWindow. "We've created a driver that enables developers to take full advantage of multi-touch functionality."

Software developers interested in touch solutions for Windows 7 are invited to contact NextWindow or download the driver directly from http://www.nextwindow.com/windriver. " More information about NextWindow is available at nextwindow.com."

Contact:
David Villarina, NextWindow
dvillarina @ nextwindow.com

N-trig Delivers Innovative Hands-On™ Computing to PC Industry

"Multi-Touch and Pen Technology to Humanize the Computer Interface and Create New Markets"

KFAR SABA, Israel & AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--"N-trig, providers of DuoSense^TMTM evolution. With the industry’s only combined pen and multi-touch capabilities, N-trig is transforming the way people interact with computers. technology, combining pen and capacitive touch in a single device, brings the power of technology and the human touch together to begin a new era in interface technologies and lead the Hands-on computing evolution. With the industry’s only combined pen and multi-touch capabilities, N-trig is transforming the way people interact with computers"
"...Realizing the power of the human interface, N-trig’s DuoSense digitizers are designed to integrate easily, support any type of screen, keep devices slim, light and bright, and can support numerous applications from small notebooks to large LCDs. Combined, pen and touch enables users to open files, manipulate pictures and browse the desktop as they would the files on their desk...Currently available on the Dell Latitude XT and additional OEM designs planned to come to market in early 2009, N-trig is opening a window onto a world where multi-touch is the accepted standard for computer interfaces."
Related

N-trig

Microsoft WinHEC 2008 Conference

NextWindow's Optical Touch Screen Technology

N-trig's Capacitive Touch Technology

All you ever wanted to know about Multi-Touch:
Bill Buxton's Multi-Touch Systems that I Have Known and Loved

All you ever wanted to know about interactive tables that support collaboration:
Pasta & Vinegar's List of Interactive Tables
(From 2005, but has been updated.)

All you ever wanted to know about tangible user interfaces:
5 Lessons About Tangible Interfaces (pdf) - Nicolas Nova

All you ever wanted to know about interactive gestures:
Interactive Gestures (wiki)

All you ever wanted to know about open-source multi-touch & related technology:
NUI Group (Natural User Interface)

Resources and Links about Touch Screens, Tables, and Multi-touch

Note: I highlight news, thoughts, and reflections about interactive multimedia, multi-touch, and related emergent technologies on this blog.

If you don't see what you are looking for on this post, feel free to do a search on this blog, or my other blog, Technology-Supported Human-World Interaction.

For Multi-Touch Interaction Humor:
Multi-touch Parody of CNN's Magic Map Wall: Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update MegaPixel Giant Touch Map

Microsoft Surface Parody

UPDATED: More News, Videos, and Links about Multi-touch and Screen Technologies

UPDATED
More news about multi-touch and screen technologies!

"Holographic" Multitouch   (Eatang Digital Technology)

Holographic muitltouch from eggwong on Vimeo
Eggwong's company is Eatang Digital Technology.  Although most of the website is in Chinese, it looks like it provides interactive design services as well as software kits.


How to Build a 20" Multiitouch Screen in Three Weeks (Ben Unsworth - Globalcore)

How to Build a 20' Multitouch Screen in 3 Weeks from Ben Unsworth on Vimeo.


Globacore
Globacore used four 72" Blue Ocean Low Gain Screens 16:9 to create their twenty-foot multi-touch wall, which I think was also used for the "holographic" screen in the first video. The tracker and base flash API from the NUI-group were used in this system.
I wasn't sure if I'd heard about Blue Ocean screens.  Much to my surprise, the company behind Blue Ocean is Nippura, located in Japan.  Nippura has another office in Charlotte, N.C.
For years,  Nippura's core business has been focused on creating "the world's largest acrylic panels, tunnels, cylinders and spheres for the professional aquarium industry", but is also focused on screen systems as well.

US Nippura/Blue Ocean Projection Screens
Blue Ocean screens were use in the second videos of this post.  Below is some information the screens from the company's website:
"Blue Ocean® Projection Screens are the first ever to cast the screen into a hi-tolerance viewing plane centered between two ultra-clear panels of cell-cast acrylic, the same type of material used in hi-optic fighter jet canopies and the world’s largest aquariums. Blue Ocean® Projection Screens also offer something never before found in screens: self-rigidity.  The thickness of each screen can be fabricated so that it maintains its form without external frames or tension systems. Frameless high definition projected images without borders amplify the infinite depth viewing experience.  Because of its durability, outdoor applications of entertainment around the garden and pool are also possible. Normal wear and tear scratching has no long-term effect on the screens’ performance, and a ten year old screen, simply re-polished, will literally look and perform exactly as it did the day it left the factory."
Super High Definition Stereo Image using 4K Projection Systems (pdf)
Tetsuro Ogi, Hiroaki Daigo, So Sato, Yoshisuke Tateyama, Yasuaki Nishida, International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence 2008

NUITEQ 
NUITEQ offers single and duo-touch plugins for Snowflake Suite that enables the software to run on NEXIO and NextWindow screens, including NextWindow's screens that are integrated in the HP TouchSmart and Dell Inspiron all-in-one PC's and others.  SnowFlake Suite is also compatable with 3M Touch Systems, N-Trig, and Lumino.  You can view the SnowFlake Suite application in action on NUITEQ's YouTube channel.
"NUITEQ's software product Snowflake Suite, which received a Stevie Awards finalist recognition for Best New Product or Service of the Year 2009 - Media & Entertainment, is available to end clients, software developers, system integrators, VAR's and OEM's. Snowflake operates on a wide variety of hardware technology platforms including rear camera based solutions, IR overlay systems, bending wave, surface acoustic wave (SAW), projected and surface capacitive, resistive and other touch technologies for small hand held mobile devices and larger scale interactive displays."
Recent news: NUITEQ Assists LTU Skelleftea at SACO event with new educational multi-touch desk


FingerTapps
Software platform for multi-touch solutions:
Video:  FingerTapps on the Dell Inspiron 19
Dell Studio One 19:  All-in-One Stunner Takes Japan
FingerTapps collaborated with DigitalDM Digital Publishing to support interactive media panels (IMAS) for use in retail settings, as well as digital print publishing.  


NextWindow and All-In-One PC's:
NextWindow, the company that made the large single-touch display I used for a couple of class projects nearly three years ago, has really grown over the past few years.  NextWindow provides optical touch screens for the HP TouchSmart PC, and also for the Dell Inspiron Studio One All-In-One PC, and the Dell Sx2210T desktop monitor.   The next Dell with a NextWindow touch screen will be the Inspirion One 19, an all-in-one PC.   You can find NextWindow touch screens in the Medion X9613, the NEC ValueStar W, and the Sony L Series.  (NextWindow has Windows 7 certification for touch screens)

STANTUM and GUNZE USA
Stantum has partnered with Gunze USA, a manufacturer of resistive touch-panels, to co-design and deliver multi-touch products.  "Gunze USA will provide these custom multi-touch modules to the North American market for use in industrial, automotive, defense, aerospace, medical, kiosk/point-of-sales, and other professional applications. Unlike capacitive multi-touch, Stantum’s technology is particularly well suited to these professional markets, thanks to its:

• immunity to EMI issues, via easy coexistence with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth antennas around the screen;
• stylus input and high precision, enabling handwriting recognition; and
• ability to work flawlessly with gloves."

According to the press release, Stantum's multi-touch technologies provide advantages such as handling 10 or more touches at a time, finger and stylus input, finger-pressure consumption, and native Windows 7 support, with no need for a driver. Developers can order the "beta" version of the Slate PC, based on the Dell Inspiron Mini netbook platform, from the Stantum website. 


GESTURETEK
The video below is of an interactive 3D application created for the Gondwana Das Praehistorium in Schiffweler, Germany, and provides an simulation of what it might be like to be a flying ancient pterosaur of giant dragonfly.  Two gamers can play at the same time.  If you want to fly, you flap your arms, and navigate by leaning. You crouch to dive, and increase your speed by flapping your arms even faster:
GestureTek's 3D Interactive Flying and Virtual Game Experience for Gonwana Museum

This company always has something going on that looks fun and interactive.  To get an idea this company's interactive work, take a look at the information on the GestureTek website links below. GestureTek has a variety product videos on the website.


GestureTek Health
GestureTek Mobile Gaming
GestureTek mobile gaming videos
GestureTek Product Summary
GestureTek in Science Centers, Aquariums, Zoos, and Visitor Centers


Lm3Labs

Toshiba equip with Ubiq'window and Catchyoo

Lm3Labs' videos on Vimeo 

Lm3Labs' Ubiquwindow TV videos
Lm3labs Blog

View more documents from LM3LABS.

Lm3labs Air Strike Overview (Slideshare)


SNIBBE INTERACTIVE
Snibbe Interactive was founded by Scott Snibbe to develop social immersive media as a communication medium that incorporates the language of cinema and engages participation and interaction with others (and technology) through unencumbered body movements.  



Get in the Action Prototype

Get in the Action Prototype - Snibbe Interactive from Oriol Ferrer Mesià on Vimeo.




Scott Snibbe's Social Immersive Media presentation at Stanford's Seminar on People, Computers and Design, 5/2009

'Scott Snibbe of Sona Research discusses a distinct form of augmented reality focused on social interaction: social immersive media. He discusses design principles and interaction techniques to create strong emotional responses and social engagement through visceral interaction. He also describes approaches to clearly communicate cultural and scientific ideas through the medium, and how to promote specific distinct social behavior in uses." -YouTube description


RELATED
Globacore  "Globacore was founded by Ben Unsworth and Jeff Williams out of a passion for technology, art, and business. Globacore began as a web hosting and development company supporting the the technical needs of sports apparel startup VC Ultimate and it's associated companies."

"Globacore Inc. was officially incorporated in April 2003. In 2007 Ben and Jeff were joined by programmer Kyle Davis and graphic designer (and trail biker) Matt Venhuizen. In 2008, the Flexmaster Lukasz Ruminski joined us and continues to be a huge member of our team.Update: We'd like to welcome our newest team member: Developer Dave Rapin!"

Globacore Interactive Technologies
67 Mowat Ave. Suite 431
Toronto, ON
M6K 3E3
Phone: + 1 (416) 925-2082
Tollfree: + 1 (888) 309-7658
Fax: + 1 (647) 477-3270 
General Email: info@globacore.com


BLUE OCEAN/NIPPURA

Blue Ocean/ Nippura US Website
Blue Ocean Product Information (pdf)
3611 Tryclan Dr.
Charlotte, NC  28217
Phone: 704-561-9191
Web: www.usnippura.com



NEXTWINDOW
NextWindow's Touch Technologies Overview
Optical Touch and All-In-One PC's
News Release:  NextWindow Patents (pdf)

Contact: David Villarina, NextWindow

+1 (925) 272-4530
dvillarina@nextwindow.com

NUITEQ
Natural User Interface Technologies AB(Headquarters)
Laboratorgränd 7
93162 Skellefteå
Sweden

Phone: +46 702865975
Fax: +46 851989240
mail@nuiteq.com

3M Touch Systems US
3M's Touch Topics information site
Multi-touch@mmm.com
 
Natural User Interface Asia Pte Ltd (Asia office)
12 Little Road
#06-01 Lian Cheong Industrial Building
Singapore 536986
Phone: +65 6748 5245
Fax: +65 6748 7961

FINGERTAPPS
Contact: James Bell-Booth
james[at]fingertapps.com
+64 21 226 6399
www.fingertapps.com/


STANTUM
Slate PC Proof of Concept Datasheet (pdf)
Contact: Francois Jeanneau
Sales and Business Development
Director, Stantum North America
Berkeley, CA, USA
Cell: +1 (510) 928 56 17
f.jeanneau@stantum.com

GUNZE USA
Product Overview
Contact:Gunze Electronics USA
2113 Wells Branch Parkway, #5400
Austin, Texas 78728
Tel: 512-990-3400 Fax: 512-252-1181

LM3LABS
Website: http://lm3labs.com/ENG/index_eng.html
info@lm3labs.com
Europe:
Antipolis Innovation Campus
300, route des Cretes
06560 Sophia-Antipolis France
Hong Kong, China
+852-8198.8406
Australia
+61(02)8011.3342
USA: +1(646)461.6146
TGarden Square 409
3-5-26 Funabori
Edogawa-ku
134-0091 Tokyo, Japan
+81(0)3.3877.0779


SNIBBE INTERACTIVE
1073 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
+1 415 822 1442
sales@snibbeinteractive.com
Snibbe Interactive Blog
2010 Interactive Catalog (pdf)
HOLDING TANK
Peau Productions
Diffusers and Projection Screens Comparison Site
(Provides photos and video of various screens and diffusers used for optical-based multi-touch systems.)


NUI-Group
Wiki: Comparison of rear projection films
Forum Thread

Outdoor Media Company (China)
Products
Contact: Kuo Lin  (?)
 
42x46 Multi-touch LCD Display

HIWAD TOUCH - Beijing Yhjn Science and Technology Co. LTD



Interactive Sandbox 

"An interactive sand box or sand table for use in tactical training includes an automated control system and image generator so that infinitely variable visual images may be projected onto the contoured surface of the sand for training and preparation for action in the military field and disaster control, industrial planning, environmental protection, and similar situation."


Interactive Holographic Touch Screen



Beijing Yihejianing Science and Technology Co., Ltd
Address: Room 621, Jinyuan Modern shopping Mall, NO.1 Yuanda Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
TE:8610-88892897，88892895
FAX:8610-88892867-801
Email: hxrong2001@hotmail.com
http://www.cnhci.cn

A new kind of SmartBoard: Multi-User Multi-Touch SMART Table for Education

I heard a rumor a few months ago that this was coming...and it was true!



The SMART Table "Touch, Learn, Together"

"The SMART Table interactive learning center lets students get hands-on with collaborative activities – and the more hands the merrier. The SMART Table is a versatile learning center where groups of students can create, explore and discover together on the durable screen. The interface is so intuitive that even the youngest child can play games and plunge into learning activities in no time. You can choose from a wide variety of ready-to-go lesson activities, or customize them to suit your own lessons."

SMARTTablerelease

If you are interested in developing for the SMART Table, visit the SMART Table Developer site.

Here are some of my other posts about multi-touch, surface, and table-top computing:

Interactive Touch-Screen Technology, Participatory Design, and "Getting It".

Emerging Interactive Technologies, Emerging Interactions, and Emerging Form Factors

The atracTable Multi-Touch System from Atracsys

Time for More Touch! NASA's collaborative multi-touch table by Gesturetek and Inhanced Digital Corporation; HP touch-screen notebook; NextWindow

New multi-touch "Gravitoy" application from NUI; Multi-touch Space Invaders from Barcelona; "Open source" touch-less multi-touch SDK on CodePlex

Natural User Interface new website shares information about the company's innovative multi-touch solutions...

Time for More Touch! Part Two: Microsoft's "Oahu", a hypothetical (?), affordable version of the Surface multi-touch table..

Creative Programming: openFrameworks - AWESOME for interactive multimedia applications

Ideum's Multi-touch, Multi-user Prototype

Seth Sandler's AudioTouch Multi-user Musical Table

Seth Sandler is an undergraduate student finishing a Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts with an emphasis in Music at the University of Southern California, San Diego.

Seth has been focusing his energies on research and developing a Multi-user, Multi-touch musical interface.

Here is a video of some musical multi-touch applications:

I'm pretty sure this will have a place in the music education world.

Seth is a member of the , (Natural User Interface), an interactive media group researching and creating open source machine sensing techniques to benefit artistic and educational applications.

LM3LAB's Useful Map of Interactive Gesture-Based Technologies: Tracking fingers, bodies, faces, images, movement, motion, gestures - and more

Nicolas Loeillot, of LM3LABS, has been ahead of the natural user interaction/ interface game for many years as his company has expanded. He's done quite a bit of deep thinking about the work of his company, and has used this wisdom to create a nice concept map that describes how LM3LABS' solutions fit into the world of gesture-based control and interaction:




In my opinion, this chart would make a great template for mapping out other natural interaction applications and products!


Here is the description of the concepts outlined in the chart:


"If all of them belong to the “gesture control” world, the best segmentation is made from 4 categories:

• Finger tracking: precise finger tracking, it can be single touch or multi-touch (this latest not always being a plus). Finger tracking also encompasses hand tracking which comes, for LM3LABS products, as a gestures.
• Body tracking: using one’s body as a pointing device. Body tracking can be associated to “passive” interactivity (users are engaged without their decision to be) or “active” interactivity like 3D Feel where “players” use their body to interact with content.
• Face tracking: using user face as a pointing device. It can be mono user or multiple users. Face tracking is a “passive” interactivity tool for engaging user in an interactive relationship with digital content.
• Image Tracking: Augmented Reality (AR) lets users use images (flyers, real products, t-shirts, faces,…) to interact with digital content. AR can be markerless or marker-based. Markerless technology has advantages but marker-based AR is easier for users to understand. (Please note here that Markerless AR is made in close collaboration with AR leader Total Immersion)."  -LM3LABS

   If you are interested in this subject and want to view some good examples of off-the-desktop interfaces and interactions, take a look at the LM3LABS blog, as well as Nicolas Loeillot's Vimeo channel.  Also take a look at the sample of posts I've written about LM3LABS over the last few years - the links are at the end of this post.

I love LM3LABS' Interactive Balloon:

Interactive balloons from Nicolas Loeillot on Vimeo.


Interactive Balloons v lm3 labs v2 (SlideShare)

Background

I first discovered LM3LABS when I was taking a VR class and researching interactive, immersive large displays in 2005 or 2006.  Back then, there wasn't much information about this sort of technology.  A lot has changed since then!


I've learned quite a bit from watching LM3LABS (and others) grow, given my passion for postWIMP interactive technology and my commitment to blogging about this subject.   Nicolas has really worked hard in this arena.  As early as 2005, LM3LABS was working with Scala to provide "smart" interactive displays, and his company's applications have been supported by computer vision technologies for many years, allowing for gesture-based, or "touch-less" interaction, as demonstrated by the Catchyoo Interactive Table.  This application caught my eye back in early 2007, when I was working on projects for large interactive displays for my HCI and Ubicomp classes, and was thinking about creating a table-top application.


My hunch is that LM3LABS has set the foundation for further growth in the future, given the lessons they've learned by taking risks with postWIMP technologies over the past few years!


Previous Blog Posts Related to LM3LABS:
Interactive Retail Book (Celebrating history of Christian Dior from 1948-2010 (video)
Ubiq Motion Sensor Display at Future Ready Singapore (video)
Interactive Virtual DJ on a Transparent Pane, by LM3LABS and Brief Ad
LM3LABS' Catchyoo Interactive Koi Pond: Release of ubiq'window 2.6 Development Kit and Reader
A Few Things from LM3LABS
LM3LABS, Nicolas Leoillot, and Multi-touch
More from LM3LABS: Ubiq'window and Reactor.cmc's touch screen shopping catalog, Audi's touch-less showroom screen, and the DNP Museum Lab.

About LM3LABS

"Founded in 2003 by a team of passionate researchers, engineers, designers, and marketers from various international backgrounds, focused on fast transformation of innovation into unique products, LM3LABS is a recognized pioneer in computer vision-based interactivity solutions. Keeping a strong customer focus, LM3LABS' team of unique people pioneers new directions, explores new concepts, new technologies and new interactions.  Engaging, playful and magic, LM3LABS' products and solutions are always scalable and reliable"

info@lm3labs.com

Note to readers:

Over the past couple of years there has been an explosion of postWIMP technologies and applications, and with this pace, it has been difficult for me to keep abreast of it all. There is quite a bit I miss, given my full time job and daily life!

I welcome information about postWIMP interactive technologies and applications from my readers.  Due to time constraints, not interest, I am not always able to post about a topic as soon as I'd like.  That is OK, as my intention is not to be the first blogger to spread the latest tech news.  I like to dig in deep when I can and make connections between innovative, interesting technologies and the people and ideas behind them. 

Ideum's multi-touch, multi user table prototype

The above picture is from Jim Sapadaccini's post about Ideum's mutli-touch table prototype, using NUI (Natural User Interface) software, "Snowflake". Ideum is working on gesture-recognition software for use in future projects.

Ideum will be designing for museum installations, and will include user-testing as they work towards applications that will support collaboration among museum visitors as they interact around the exhibits.

For more information see the Ideum blog, and also Ideum's portfolio page.

More Multi-touch: New video from NUITEQ: Snowflake Suite Multi-touch Software on a 46" HD LCD

Here is the promotional information from NUITEQ:


"NUITEQ's Snowflake Suite off the shelf multi-touch software product showcased on a 46" flat full HD multi-touch LCD.  Available for purchase now.


Snowflake Suite is honored with a Stevie Awards finalist recognition for Best Product or Service of the Year 2009 in the category Media and Entertainment for the International Business Awards. Snowflake Suite is available to OEM's, SI's, VAR's, software engineers and end clients. Snowflake Suite comes with hands full of multi-touch applications, an API and a SDK.


Compatible with different multi-touch hardware technology platforms, including: 3M Touch Systems, N-trig, NextWindow, Lumio, Nexio, IR Touch, rear camera based systems, dreaMTouch and others."


"Natural User Interface Technologies AB (NUITEQ) is a Swedish technology company, that offers off the shelf and customized software for interactive single and multi-touch devices. Additionally NUITEQ executes large scale customization projects, concerning multi-touch technology hardware, software and services. In parallel, NUITEQ is working on other innovative emerging technologies within the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI)."


Today's News:  NUITEQ wins MerlT Award for development through collaboration, growth potential and innovative thinking.


RELATED

NUITEQ Flat 46'' Multi-touch LCD

Key Features Size: 46" Snowflake Suite life time license included Full HD Simultaneous detectionand tracking of up 32 touch points Definite and reliable detection of touch points Real multi-touch function: no specific constraints, like temporal order or position of touch points Particularly suitable for embedded systems: Processing of complex evaluation steps via touch controller, e.g. keyboard emulation Sample rate: 50 frames/s Glass: 4 mm toughened safety glass Slim design: only 3 cm construction depth and 5 cm frame width USB interface and separate power supply No drift, no calibration required Applicable to all display technologies Protocol: TUIO Detection of size and position of objects in the active area 2 years warranty Electrical Power Supply: 19 V DC ± 20 % Power Consumption: 11 W Interface: USB 1.1, full speed   Functional Simultaneous Touch Points: 32 Touch Point Size: > 10 mm Spatial Resolution: < 2 mm Communication Protocol : Propriatary or ·· TUIO 1.0 (2Dcur and 25Dcur profiles) Scan Speed: 55 ms Mechanical Data Frame Dimensions: 1136 x 680 x 28 mm Frame Finish: Black powder coating (RAL 9011) Active Area: 1018.1 x 572.7 mm Window: 4 mm double-sided anti-reflective laminted safety filterglass Weight: 11 kg (including filter glass) Monitor: Direct fit to SHARP PN-465E (35,5 KG) Environmental Operating Temperature: 0 °C to 40 °C Operating Humidity: 20 % to 80 % (no condensation)

Also available as a horizontal solution.









NUITEQ Wiki
Harry van der Veen's NUITEQ Blog
(I've been following Harry van der Veen's journey since he was a university student. At the time, he was a leading member of the NUI-Group, creating a DYI multi-touch table as part of his studies. This was before Microsoft Surface was born.)