Modder builds his own coffee table PC, your coffee table still sucks

While we wait for those Microsoftees to pull it together and get real with a shippable version of Surface, we can enjoy the valiant efforts of modders like Xylomn. This guy built his very own touchable coffee table PC with a 24-inch display and a ceiling-mounted camera for tracking hand motions. Since it's part of his dissertation for his software engineering degree, Xylomn also worked up some custom software which allows users to beam media to the PC via Bluetooth, and then geotag it on a touchable map. The table allows for multiple users at once, and the interface part of the software rotates automatically towards whoever is grubbing up the display at that point.

[Via Geeky Gadgets]

[Digg @ Mar 10th 2008 9:30AM]

Dugg!
http://digg.com/mods/Modder_builds_his_own_coffee_table_PC

[asphixiated @ Mar 10th 2008 10:13AM]

why must you spam every engadget article with your stupid links?

I've made it a point to bury every submission that you put on digg.

his/her digg profile: http://digg.com/users/UCBearcats

[eng177 @ Mar 10th 2008 12:59PM]

I too am burying articles by UCBearcats.

[greg @ Mar 10th 2008 1:23PM]

whats a bearcat? I mean I know what a man-bear-pig is, but I've never heard of a bearcat. Couldn't find it in the dictionary either.

[MangaMan @ Mar 10th 2008 3:41PM]

At least it's better than the idiots saying "First post!"

What a waste of time.

[Fara @ Mar 10th 2008 5:24PM]

A Bear Cat is a panda. It's an old name.

[DESTOS @ Mar 11th 2008 9:29AM]

Bearcat:

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/10/30/bearcat1_wideweb__470x320,0.jpg

[pundit @ Mar 10th 2008 9:35AM]

Cue the fanbois claiming that this sucks too, since it's not on Mac OS.

Looks pretty neat. Is it truly functional and stable though?

[DWells55 @ Mar 10th 2008 11:09AM]

You go out of your way to demean Mac OS users in an article that has absolutely nothing to do with Mac OS and call *them* fanboys? Slightly hypocritical, don't you think?

[pundit @ Mar 10th 2008 11:12AM]

You could look at it that way, but any article hyping a windows product gets slammed by the fanbois. I'm hoping that Windows Surface or whatever it'll be called will finally solve Microsoft's big software issues.

[crsh @ Mar 10th 2008 12:27PM]

It looks nicely executed, but ergonomically it's a nightmare; table-top stuff is idiotic at best, regardless what OS it's running. Taking the desktop metaphore to a literal level is so .com bubble era.

[ethana2 @ Mar 10th 2008 12:39PM]

What kernel is it running? 2.6.24?

MacOS sucks way too much in too many ways for those fanboys to be talking, but I'm here to represent the penguins. ^_^

[Saint Dumb Ox @ Mar 10th 2008 9:40AM]

GK Chesterton said something about never seeing a memorial or statue dedicated to a committee.

I love it when one guy pulls off something a bunch of pros take forever to complete.

[Fred @ Mar 10th 2008 10:24AM]

Because being able to build a multitouch table is 'pulling off something a bunch of pros take forever to complete."?

You realise that being able to build a piece of technology is not the same as being able to mass produce and market it, right?

[MantaMay @ Mar 10th 2008 10:35AM]

How is this pulling off something the pro's can't do? If I remember correctly MS Surface doesn't require a cam mounted to the ceiling to work correctly? This is a great piece of technology, but rather is just to show off the coding behind the hardware.

Still damn cool though.

[mike @ Mar 10th 2008 12:37PM]

Using cameras to create multi-input interface is nothing new. Look at Reactrix (advertising using cameras pointing down)...of course, they weren't the first either.
I've seen this project executed many times.

The difference with Surface is that it has touch detection vs. an overhead cam.

[Backlin @ Mar 10th 2008 9:47AM]

Is this one covered in the Coffee Table Book About Coffee Tables?

[Samo @ Mar 10th 2008 9:49AM]

I want!

I reckon this may blow MS Surface out of the water when it err, surfaces...

... I'll get my coat

[Kunikos @ Mar 10th 2008 11:56AM]

Surface vs this Mod:

Round 1 - Technology

The Surface allows touch-screen, rather than image-tracking for touch recognition. This means you can't block the tracking camera with other objects or your body. Surface can also recognize orientation and can remember objects (in a limited sense) by their perimeters.

Winner: Surface

Round 2 - Form-factor

The Surface is a huge and immensely heavy case unit with a large screen facing up on the top. The coffee-table mod potentially allows you to have some manner of space under it for your feet/legs/books.

Winner: Home-brew

Round 3 - Development

Surface has a whole SDK for development for displaying to the screen and capturing input groups (individual finger presses or multiple items on the surface at once). Home-brew solution requires doing everything from scratch.

Winner: Surface

[John @ Mar 10th 2008 5:44PM]

I'd just like to point out Surface also uses cameras to track touch and recognize objects. All of the cameras are inside the Surface box, vs. overhead with this home mod. The Surface table top is neither capacitive nor resitive.

[Fred @ Mar 10th 2008 10:21AM]

"The table allows for multiple users at once, and the interface part of the software rotates automatically towards whoever is grubbing up the display at that point"

In other words, it only allows for one user at once. Because if multiple users were using it at the same time, the interface would keep rotating chaotically. Maybe it registers touches from multiple people simultaneously, but that's not the same as 'multi user'.

[mr nico @ Mar 10th 2008 2:24PM]

And how does it work on porno sites?

[applefreak @ Mar 10th 2008 10:32AM]

me want.

me also want video.

[Cesar Cardoso @ Mar 10th 2008 10:45AM]

10 comments and nobody asked...

...does it play Quake 3 at breakfast?

[Kunikos @ Mar 10th 2008 11:57AM]

Mmmm bacon-grease-fingered bunny-hopping.

[mr nico @ Mar 10th 2008 2:23PM]

Quack sucks, will it play DOOM?

[LiqwidZero @ Mar 10th 2008 10:46AM]

I'd rather have an aquarium coffee table.

Seriously, I would.

[R1cebrner @ Mar 10th 2008 10:55AM]

if i put a bowl of frosted flakes on it will it track the calorie intake, or link me to a page with coupons? i wish my fiance would let me put one in the living room

[MattyG @ Mar 10th 2008 11:07AM]

yeah here's your "revolutionary" multi touch device huh, any geek can knock one up

seems Microsoft's surface has been sunk

[John @ Mar 10th 2008 11:43AM]

This uses a camera overhead, the table is multitouch.

But don't let something as small and insignificant as common sense get in your way

[John @ Mar 10th 2008 11:43AM]

("the table" being Surface)

[Ignacio @ Mar 10th 2008 12:18PM]

"This uses a camera overhead, the table is multitouch."

Actually, Microsoft's Surface also uses a camera (inside the table) for tracking fingers. It's surface isn't actually touch sensitive, although they did say that's planned for future versions.

[shanoboy @ Mar 10th 2008 11:26AM]

I was all pumped when I read DIY. Then I read that it was done by a soon to be software engineer and I got sad because I know I could never pull anything off like this myself.

Kudos, that's one of the coolest things I've seen in a while.

[ma5t3rw1tt @ Mar 10th 2008 11:29AM]

This is pretty sweet. As though I have seen other related topics using a projector and webcams to make your own multi touch screen. I'm going to try this, but once I find a cheap project (doubt I'll find one, but I am still searching.)

Nice find Engadget :D

[Martia @ Mar 10th 2008 11:36AM]

This will really look nice with a blue screen.

[mr nico @ Mar 10th 2008 2:25PM]

Running Windows it would be the big blue screen of death with error messages...

[CraigJ @ Mar 10th 2008 12:09PM]

Actually, a 24" monitor with a wireless mouse or trackball would work fine for me... be a cool remote for the media center PC...

[OneLove @ Mar 10th 2008 12:58PM]

Yo, put some wood grain (and D's) on that shit.

[Motoken @ Mar 10th 2008 4:25PM]

Microsoft = 8 years if development.

Xylomn = less then 2 years.

Microsoft: owned

Xylomn: 1

[DJBruce @ Mar 11th 2008 5:20AM]

u're on hell of an intelligent dude...dude

[sullZ @ Mar 11th 2008 10:17AM]

A guy did the same thing and took it to Dragon's Den.. It got slated!

[Barbaric @ Mar 12th 2008 9:36AM]

But, you still need to put up a divider so the other person can't see where you've placed your battleship!! And if it plays Pac-man, I see a huge market for it in Pizza-Hut's around the country!!

ftw,I will just assume it can play Doom.