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Full-Screen Multitouch for Mac OS X

Christian Moore got this system running at full speed on a simple Intel-based MacBook. His Lux free open framework enables true multitouch interaction in Mac OS X. In fact, he says it can work under any platform and even a web browser, enabling complex user interfaces and object manipulation comparable to Jeff Han’s magic walls or the Microsoft Surface anywhere. We talked with Moore about how it works and what to expect from it.

Jesus Diaz: Tell me more about Lux. This is a framework that anybody can use, right? Under any platform?
Christian Moore: Well, yeah, is an open source framework I’ve been working on for experimenting with user interfaces. It’s more a general framework than targeting one main deployment platform. That video is actually all AS3 running in Flash 9 over Mac OS X, but you can integrate it with any development system and platform.

JD: Why Flash?
CM: Because it’s fast to prototype in. However, the software is broken into several segments. One C++ application that tracks hands that talks to Flash… WPF… or another C++ app… and basically everything you can imagine. You can enable multitouch in any environment, like Cocoa.

JD: So anyone can grab the framework and make native multitouch apps right in Mac OS X or Windows or Linux.
CM: Yeah. We have an Xcode-developed app for photo and paint coming, as well as a tracking application. But using Flash for this demo was the fastest way for us at the moment.

JD: How many people did this?
CM: I did the core system, but four people from the NUI Group contributed demos.

JD: What machine is running the demo in the video? Looks amazingly fast.
CM: Just a MacBook.

JD: And for the multitouch screen?
CM: I use a ~box from naturalui. It’s ghetto tech, I know, but I developed the majority of Lux on a cardboard box. And it works great.

JD: Indeed, it looks like it works perfectly right. How does this compare to frameworks like UITouch, in the iPhone?
CM: Apple’s UITouch its very, very well designed. It runs at the core level, while ours is more a free environment to develop on top… to learn about multitouch and share code.

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Posted 16 May 2008 † admin § Apple § Multi Touch ‡ Comments (0)

JazzMutant Will Now Make Its Patented Multi-Touch Sensing Technology Available on an OEM Basis

LAS
VEGAS, January 7, 2008 – Bordeaux, France-based JazzMutant, a pioneer
developer of multi-touch sensing technology, announced today at the
International CES that it is launching an OEM business unit in response
to a growing demand for its multi-touch solutions by electronic device
manufacturers and third-party system integrators.

In addition, the company is being renamed Stantum
Technologies http://www.stantum.com,
with JazzMutant remaining the brand name of its music product division,
which includes the award-winning Lemur multi-touch surface controller
for audio and media applications and Dexter laptop-sized surface
controller for digital audio workstations.

“Since we introduced Lemur, interest in our patented
technology has increased to the point that we are now working with
leading companies in various business areas, including aerospace,
consumer electronic and medical imagery, to mention just a few,” said
Guillaume Largillier, co-founder and CEO. “It was time for JazzMutant
to evolve into Stantum Technologies.”

The new OEM business unit will provide Stantum
customers with tailor-made, integrated and cost-effective multi-touch
solutions – by way of components or licenses – that precisely fit their
individual needs, according to Largillier.

“Our aim is to become the major stakeholder of
tomorrow’s man-machine interface industry, making the way people
interact with their working tools, computers or other electronic
devices more intuitive, playful and reliable. Providing our unique
tactile screen technology to companies on an OEM basis – as a one-stop
multi-touch solution – will also significantly strengthen our market
position.”

Stantum’s technology portfolio offers true multi-touch
interfaces that let users simultaneously move an unlimited number of
fingers, nails or utensils such as styli on a screen. Fitting any
form-factor, it enables integrators to design extremely innovative
multi-touch interfaces for their own products, thus simplifying the
development process and considerably shortening the product’s
time-to-market.

 

The latest in the JazzMutant line is the SMK-15.4 Multi-Touch Development Kit. This new product enables you to build the ultimate in multi-touch user-interfaces.

The development kit is based on Stantum’s five year experience in the design and production of multi-touch systems.

Included in the system is a multi-touch 15.4” WXGA 1280×800 display, embedding Stantum patented scanning and filtering technology, Pmatrix high resolution multi-touch sensor, and all the drivers you could need.

JazzMutant has announced that the Multi-Touch Sensing Technology available on an OEM basis.

 

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Posted 09 January 2008 † admin § Microsoft § Interview § Video § Apple § News § Multi Touch § Jeff Han § Multitouch News § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0)

Multi-Touch Laptop with Vista (Video)

Multi touch laptop vista microsoftThis multi-touch implementation, called ThinSight, can see other devices and respond to say, infrared, as well.

A computer screen that also acts as a two-handed touch interface and a crude infrared camera has been developed by researchers at Microsoft’s labs in the UK.

Users can operate the display with both hands, in a similar manner to the display in the film Minority Report. But this screen can also recognise particular hand gestures as well as objects placed within a centimetre of its surface.

“It can sense much more than fingers, and is essentially a low resolution scanner and camera,” says lead researcher Shahram Izadi. The screen can even communicate wirelessly with other devices nearby using the same infrared technology it uses to see.

The technology – dubbed ThinSight – was developed by adding an extra layer of electronics behind a normal laptop screen. This adds a couple of centimetres to the overall thickness, but completely transforms its abilities.

Here is the NewScientist.com interview with Microsoft Research in Cambridge, England. The video demo is below - a must see.

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Posted 18 October 2007 † admin § Mobile § Video § Microsoft § Multi Touch ‡ Comments (1)

Jeff Han Interview from Technology Review

MIT’s Technology Review has an insightful 5-minute interview of Jeff Han speaking about the potential to provide more natural interfaces to virtual worlds such as SecondLife. He describes using a Multi Touch interface in Second Life as “swimming through the virtual world”.

Jeff Han: “It’s amazing the richness that they’re [virtual worlds] trying to convey … but it’s frustrating that we’re still trying to control that through the thin straw of a mouse and keyboard interface. ” [ via Technology Review ]

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Posted 17 September 2007 † admin § Video § Interview § Jeff Han § Multi Touch ‡ Comments (0)

Jeff Han Nextfest 2007

Jeff Han speaks about his opinions on Multi-Touch technology, the iPhone, and more at Nextfest 2007. He was showing off Perceptive Pixel’s 16 foot long multi-touch system, and the interviewer asked him about the UI, what he thinks of the iPhone and other systems, and how much he must hate Minority Report jokes. [Perceptive Pixel via NextFest]

Here’s another amateur video of Jeff Han of Perceptive Pixel demoing his advanced multi-touch system at WIRED NextFest 2007. Notice how much the kids love interacting with this.

Part 1:

Part 2:

(Note: the laughter on the footage is not the author of the video, it belonged to a mom who was enjoying her son’s excitement):

[ via Hustler of Culture ]

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Posted 17 September 2007 † admin § Video § Interview § News § Jeff Han § Multi Touch ‡ Comments (0)

Welcome to Multi Touch

What is this blog about?

Welcome to the Multi Touch blog. We cover the latest news and developments in Multi Touch technology - from Jeff Han’s start-up Perceptive Pixel, the Microsoft Surface Table, to Apple’s iPhone and iTouch. So make sure to subscribe and tell your friends and colleagues.

How can I contribute? 

This is a group-edited blog so you are free to contribute and write your own stories. Feel free to register here. You’ll be sent a user name and password, which you can use to login and write your own post.

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Posted 17 September 2007 † admin § News § Announcements ‡ Comments (0)