DiamondTouch embeds a giant multi-user tablet into a table

Okay honestly, we can't see a lot of corporate suits gathering around this DiamondTouch table to do some collaborative doodling — but we totally want one for our living room. The MERL DiamondTouch is basically a ginormous touchscreen, embedded in a table, that supports multiple simultaneous inputs, so different users can be manipulating objects on the screen at the same time. This DiamondTouch is totally wasted on research and corporate meetings — all it needs is some cup holders and we'd ditch our coffee table in a second.

[Thanks, dna]

[Anonymous @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

Why would anyone nedd one?

[AcrylicGuitar @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

"that supports multiple simultaneous inputs"

Ooooh, that means that a touchscreen for the Rev could actually be true. I honestly doubt it, but that would be cool, now that they have "multiple simultaneous inputs"

[Bravomedic @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

I'm not sure why a house would actually need one, though it would be cool. It seems like it could be used in restaurants for ordering, just a bit on the expensive side.

http://bravomedic.blogspot.com

[KmL @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

Post number 4 is a great idea for the more expensive restaurants around. Everyone could order at the same time, and then maybe the table could flip. (so as not to damage the screen with liquids/food)

[trav himself @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

I'd like to see technology like that makes it way into a gaming unit. It'd be cool to play strategy games or such on a machine like that.

[enzo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

This product itself may not go so far, but its definately an unavoidable step towards the future. A huge coffee table with an LCD screen... Perfect for playing board games, looking at photo albums, etc.

[granny down east @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

This would be so cool onboard my shrimper. Suppose you connect it to a GPS, you touch/point to where you want to go, the GPS link steers the ship right to where you've pointed.
Oh wait, I already have something like that--me.

[tarek @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

DiamondTouch is the name of the company that my dad uses for the software on his computers. (pizza resteraunt)

[num10ck @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

its all about the kitchen table, and being able to watch vids and surf the net while you're eating together, maybe even throw links at each other to check out.

[kazimoto @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

Guys, this looks like those LCARS thingy on Star Trek. You know, you don't have keyboards and stuff; you can just touch the buttons right on the screen.

[kazimoto @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

Guys, this looks like those LCARS thingy on Star Trek. You know, you don't have keyboards and stuff; you can just touch the buttons right on the screen.

[Exzite @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

Yeah Alma mater... represent!

[Colin Butler @ Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM]

Hey, I did my Master's thesis using that thing. I made a two-handed direct manipulation drawing program.
http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/faculty/stamant/papers/HabilisDrawDTdemo.avi
(Ignore the commentary-- I expected that to be removed. The video requires MJPEG codec, I think)

The gloves are a workaround to a one-contact-point-per-person hardware limitation.