Friday, June 8, 2007

Here we go!


Well I'm starting this new blog today. I figured it would be nice to keep track of my current / future projects. A few days ago Microsoft announced their new Surface computing platform. It's basically a coffee table with a multitouch screen on top. The moment I saw it I knew I had to make one... so this brings me to my new project.

I want to build a multitouch table for use in the classroom. I think this kind of technology could really break down the one student per computer barrier we see in classrooms today. A multitouch table would allow students to use technology cooperatively in a way that, currently, is an impossibility for most students. The best part is that the technology the table is based on, Frustrated Total Internal Reflection (FTIR), is fairly cheap to produce and relies mostly on common PC components and other readily available materials. Take a look at this page to get the gist of it.

With the help of the NUIGROUP community, I found enough information to construct a rough prototype screen. So far it does simple blob tracking when I press my fingers on the screen. In a few days the materials for my complaint surface should arrive and I can begin the next phase of my research.

1 comment:

Cory said...

Wow Mikey! You are a genius. I am so honored to know you and have you in my family. Are you an alien of some sort? : )