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Microsoft will be demonstrating a spherical version of their multitouch-capable Surface system at the company’s Research Faculty Summit 2008 DemoFest, according to their own booth map. The phrasing suggests that Surface, which is currently a flat table that can respond to multiple points of contact (see our two hands-on demos here and here), has developed into a round display that would be more usable by a larger number of people.
A spherical touchscreen would present a variety of technical challenges no matter the mechanics. Currently, Surface use a camera to identify points of contact on the glass table-top, changing the image projected from underneath accordingly. Translating this onto a sphere would likely require multiple cameras and multiple projectors to ensure full coverage. Resistive or capacitative touchscreens are yet to be used in such large-scale or oddly shaped applications.
It’s unclear whether the “Multi-Touch Spherical Display” is merely a proof-of-concept or a potential product idea. Currently Surface has found applications in AT&T stores and casinos; a version that could be used from all angles might be useful as an information point in shopping malls and resorts.
[via Electronista]
Those designers over at Moixa Design who created the eco-friendly USBCELL batteries (http://www.usbcell.com) seem to be a few steps ahead of this with their ‘Spherical Display and Control Device’ patents US20070247439, that also covers multi-point/multi-touch functionality…
(http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=20070247439&FIELD1=&co1=AND&TERM2=&FIELD2=&d=PG01)