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Fujitsu touch interface detects fingers on real objects, adds digital details to print

Bringing touch interfaces to real-world objects often involves putting hardware either inside the item or in front of it, neither of which is especially natural. Fujitsu has developed a control system that could eliminate those obstructions and bring digital interaction to many surfaces, even to old-fashioned paper. Its multi-camera approach can distinguish between objects on a table and the exact positions of a user's fingers, right down to fingertip outlines; it's accurate enough to scan text from a book as you drag your finger along the page. The system really comes alive, however, when its projector is involved. Besides providing visual feedback, the image overlay allows for both control of purely digital objects and interfaces tailored to real-world items. The company imagines brochures or maps that pop up extra details, among numerous other examples. While we wonder how long the technology will remain useful when there's an ongoing push to go paperless, Fujitsu sees enough practicality that it's anticipating a product in its fiscal 2014. That doesn't leave long until we can get a very literal hands-on.