Video: DYI Acrylic Multi-touch FTIR Pad - Low-cost and Stylish (Anne Roudaut, Patrick Baudisch, Christian Holz, and Torsten Becker, Hasso Plattner Institute)

I came across the following video and link when I visited Jonathan Brill's Multi-touch Maven blog.  The multi-touch project was developed as part of the Patric Baudisch's Human Computer Interaction Research class at the Hasso Plattner Institute.



Detailed directions, along with pictures, can be found on the Designer Multi-touch Pad website. From there, you can download the OpenCV source code, which requires Microsoft's Visual Studio, from the project's website, along with a copy of the how-to video,  a nice shopping list, and references.


-Hasso Plattner Institut
This is what graduate students and post-docs play with!

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An easy way to build your own multi-touch surface
-Jonathan Brill

iTablet, iSlate? No! It's called the iPad. (Updated)

Update:  Wired's coverage of the iPad event.

I would have to take a week off from my regular day job to follow up on the iPad chatter, which is not possible. In the meantime, here are a few links for those of you who want to be on top of the iPad brouhaha:

Editorial:  Engadget on the Apple iPad -Nilay Patel
Would You Buy and iPad?  Wired Readers Weigh In -Priya Ganapati, Wired Gadget Lab
The iPad and publishers: a survey of early reaction -Mat Slocum, O'Reilly Radar
iPad Technical Specifications -Apple
iPad Design -Apple (you can access the iPad video from the iPad Design page)
The iPad and publishers: a survey of early reaction -Mat Slocum, O'Reilly Radar
15 reasons why the iPad is no game-changer -Davey Winder, DaniWeb
Apple iPad First Hands On -Gizmodo
Update 1/28/10 5:50 PM:
Checkmate: Apple's iPad and Google's Next Move -Mark Sigal, O'Reilly Radar

Apple Info
iPad Technical Specifications -Apple
iPad Design -Apple (you can access the iPad video from the iPad Design page)
iPad Features -Apple
Steve Wonsiak Talks iPad (Video) via TechCrunch
"I don't see it having a role in video editing or music production"- Steve Wonsiak

Hopefully the iPad would support basic video editing and music production, since I use digital video storytelling/social stories and music in my work with students who have autism or other complex special needs. Some of my students help to create content, and despite their limitations, can understand and use storyboarding in this process.

Comment:  There are quite a few jokes circulating around the web about the name of this new product.  For the males (I'm assuming) who named the iPad, I'll give you a hint.  Half of the population knows that "pad" is what we call an important feminine hygiene product.