DIY multitouch 67-inch rear-projection TV

Sure, this ain't the first multitouch / rear-projection tv hack we've seen, but the thing is still rather novel. Using a 67-inch television, this guy put together a system that utilizes four IR laser line generators to produce a plane of infrared light across the entire surface of the screen. Two cameras mounted inside the TV look for the clusters of light generated when one touches the screen and tracks them using an app called tbeta for the Mac OS. If you'd like to build one yourself -- or if you're morbidly curious -- the kids at IDEO Labs have put the step-by-step out there in excruciating detail. Hit the read for some of that action or, if you really just like to watch, be sure to catch the videos after the break.

[Via Hack A Day]

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 18th 2009 4:45AM]

Would you people stop putting out new multitouch hardware and for a while try to figure out what to do with it. We haze zillions of all kinds of screens and surfaces but only thing you can really do is move and zoom pictures.

[Shunnabunich Posted Feb 18th 2009 5:10AM]

True. Why don't you write to the developers of some appropriate apps, suggesting they add multi-touch support? These DIY-ers will have something interesting to do, the devs will be ahead of the curve, we won't have to listen to you complain, everybody wins. :)

[CaramelZappa Posted Feb 18th 2009 5:14AM]

I agree with 123, Multitouch is really cool, and fun, but not really useful, at least not yet.

[FiB3R Posted Feb 18th 2009 5:20AM]

No, don't stop. I want to see how to add multi-touch to a 46" LCD TV

[Information Central Posted Feb 18th 2009 5:50AM]

Yep, multitouch is so far a nearly useless gimmick. Not to mention the obvious: Why would you want to stand there with your arms out in front of you all day like some 1950s movie mummy?

[Hackettman Posted Feb 18th 2009 10:29AM]

The only real use I can see is for artists. But not on something this big. Classrooms would benefit but smartboards already have that realm........ RTS would be cool with this type of tool....

[Vidikron Posted Feb 18th 2009 11:03AM]

I personally hate all this multi-touch crap. I'm generally OK with touch screens on small portable devices like mobile phones, but I absolutely HATE finger prints on displays. On a portable they're fairly easy to wipe off, but I never touch my computer screen and I'm certainly not going to touch my big screen TV, nor is anyone else >:/

[Shunnabunich Posted Feb 18th 2009 6:34PM]

I'm not saying I'd want to use it on a vertical TV either; that doesn't have much use except in a presentation situation. I'd rather have something like a tablet that I can rest on my lap.

[broken89 Posted Feb 18th 2009 4:47AM]

Being that close would give me a headache

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 18th 2009 4:53AM]

Alas, the parts to the laptop of legend start appearing, finally a multi-touch trackpad that Rosie O'Donnell's fingers can actually fit on.

[mocax Posted Feb 18th 2009 5:06AM]

i'd prefer technology that don't require me to move my arms too much...

like a trackball or a high dpi mouse...

[TheRealBanana Posted Feb 18th 2009 6:37AM]

*doesn't

[phearme Posted Feb 18th 2009 5:38AM]

I don't know about this... would your really want your TV to be covered with finger marks and prints ? i mean my touch phone is really kind of dirty after using it, i can't imagine my TV, i prefer it to be clean...

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 18th 2009 5:55AM]

Wash your hands?

[gradoman Posted Feb 18th 2009 8:06AM]

Yes, wash your hands -- constantly.


/sarcasm off

[Surrealchemist Posted Feb 18th 2009 6:02AM]

Now I can pretend I am on CNN or MSNBC from my own home!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 18th 2009 6:04AM]

Please multitouch me

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 18th 2009 9:10AM]

I see that multitouch on the iPhone is gaining acceptance, and I'm not surprised.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 18th 2009 9:19AM]

The point of an iPhone is that its with you at all times, multitouch on a tv is pointless. Who'd want to get up off their arses to change the channel/ move pictures when a remote or mouse can do it.

Multitouch isnt really needed yet.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 18th 2009 11:50AM]

As a presentation device, this might be useful. A salesperson/lecturer could gesture directly on the screen to change slides, alter the presentation, etc. This sort of "smart board" would be perfect for commentary on games like Go, Chess, etc.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 18th 2009 6:48PM]

Wow i was kinda half expecting the Apple fanboys to be jumping all over this saying how great MacOS is cause you can use it for this hack.

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