SLAP Widgets add movable, tactile controls to your surface computer
By Ross Miller 
posted Apr 9th 2009 6:44AM
posted Apr 9th 2009 6:44AM
[Via Core77]
Read - Project website
Read - Video presentation
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I like this.
Multi touch devices seem nice for navigation, although I have reservations about other input methods; drawing for instance. I don't fancy daubing with my finger- I see props like pens and such using this tech (or similar) becoming big (and hopefully inexpensive- compared with current peripherals).
Touchscreen innovation FTW
I feel like we need to be cautious when we start traveling into peripheral country anymore. Look what happened to the Wii.
Indeed, there are issues with 'non-functional' peripherals.
However, a 'prop' for an action (like typing, or jogging etc) could be argued as being more functional than a plastic racquet for a Wiimote.
Although, my wife is a therapist working with elderly care home residents, and interestingly enough they found great difficulty playing Wii Sports without the attachments; they didn't seem to relate to something as abstract as the Wiimote without a cue!
Also, where the hell is my avatar?!
I ate it. It tasted good.
Engadget hates avatars. Also, you spelled your name differently the first time. Maybe that has something to do with it?
Silicone doesn't seem like a great material for a keyboard.
My girlfriends breasts disagree with you.
@ Venom
Your girlfriend's breasts doubles as a keyboard?
You type notes on your girlfriend's breasts? So your girlfriend is a computer? With a silicone keyboard? Huh.
I feel sorry for your girlfriend that she needs silicone.
Is this related to the Slap Chop? You're gonna love my nuts!
Frigin Awsome! This is like mtc pads but better with adaptive programs, such as the slider, could it be paired with video to make more volume or to fast forward depending whether it is horizontal or vertical
This is such a cool idea! And a great example of leveridge! :) They saw Surface, thought it lacked some features, improved significantly the way you interact with it and made it from cheap components! This is great.
Yeah... The very first videos of Surface displayed little tiles that you could put on the surface to make different kinds of stamps, and there was a glass with a barcode on the bottom that let Surface tell you what kind of drink it was and what food would fit with it. Recognizing objects on the screen and reacting to interactions with them has been part of Surface since day one. Exactly what is new about this?
It should also be noted that this kind of interaction is only possible with a diffused illumination style table like the Surface.
FTIR, what a lot of other people use, can't do this.
It also makes it very, very difficult to implement with anything other than a projector/camera setup.
@Mio
If you had watched the video or read the article you would know that this used both diffuse and FTIR. It uses diffuse to recognize the widgets, and FTIR to recognize when something is pushed down.
Nothing new here, Microsoft invented interaction between objects and a multi-touch screen with the introduction of Microsoft's surface. I remember how stunned i was when i first saw the demonstration of surface, seeing the paint program identify and interprete brush strokes and textures from a real paint brush or any object was real cool. This one is just a different implementation, looks pretty cool though.
This is cool, but I bet Joshua Topolsky would like it better if it had a slide out keyboard, you know, like the Pre.
I for one welcome our new silicon smart-board controlling widget overlords.
First, for those having problems with the .MOV file (Quacktime couldn't find the right codec), here's the YouTube URL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2rDHUUkd5Y
This is a very good idea, but I think it'll take until the next iteration, what ever that is, until it's really useful.
Also, humorously, their logo reads, "SLOP". Oops.
I think this is the wrong way to go... why spend time messing with add-ons to the touch surface when you should be working on new ways to use the surface itself? I think touch screens need a new way to input data, just like the keyboard was a new way when the computer terminal was invented. Keyboards are just like the rotary phone - they were great when they were needed, but now something better exists.
Artical dugg!
http://digg.com/hardware/SLAP_Widgets_add_movable_controls_to_your_surface_computer
It remembers the Reactable http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactable , a musical instrument made in 2007 in Spain.
So would this be similar to the keyboard that Tony Stark uses in Ironman?