Posted on: September 19th, 2008 Reactable Software Vs Microsoft Surface
I saw these two technologies a while back and I was equally impressed by both of them.
Here’s a little about the Reactable:
“reacTIVision is an open source, cross-platform computer vision framework for the fast and robust tracking of fiducial markers attached onto physical objects, as well as for multi-touch finger tracking. It was mainly designed as a toolkit for the rapid development of table-based tangible user interfaces (TUI) and multi-touch interactive surfaces. This framework has been developed by Martin Kaltenbrunner and Ross Bencina at the Music Technology Group at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain as part of the the reacTable project, a novel electronic music instrument with a table-top multi-touch tangible user interface.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-RhyopUmc&feature=rec-fresh
Find out more here: http://reactable.iua.upf.edu/
And the Microsoft Surface:
“Microsoft Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive surface. It’s the first commercially-available surface computing platform from Microsoft. The product provides effortless access to digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects. Today, it’s a 30-inch diagonal display in a table-like form factor that’s easy for individuals or multiple people to interact with in a way that feels familiar, just like in the real world. In essence, it’s a surface come to life for exploring, learning, sharing, creating, buying and much more. Today consumers can interact with Surface at select AT&T retail locations and at the iBar located in the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino. Other Surface deployments will continue in restaurant, retail, leisure and public entertainment venues in the coming weeks and months.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxk_WywMTzc&feature=related
Find out more here: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/index.html
Both of these pieces of technology represent a change in the way we interact with machines. As computer technology evolves, it’s only a matter of time when the keyboard and mouse are a thing of the past. All that we see today, from the Web to your word processor will be surpassed by a new wave of software and hardware that will make us think, how did we ever live without it. I hear it now from people that get the iPhone and say “now that I have it, I will never go back”. Not to endorse Apple or its products, but it is a perfect example of how improved interactions with machines changes people’s lives.
Maybe this is a little too deep for a simple technology post, but my mind wondered…