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Virtual Autopsy Table brings multitouch to the morgue

by Laura June posted Oct 7th 2009 at 9:27AM

Ever wonder what the insides of a human being really look like but lacked the grit or credentials to watch an autopsy in the flesh? Well, whatever the reasons, we can all probably agree this is one of the best uses for a multitouch table surface ever. The Virtual Autopsy Table (developed by Norrköping Visualization Centre and the Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization in Sweden) makes use of high resolution MRIs, rendered and processed into 3D images which are then accessible in the table itself. The results are super impressive and educational -- not to mention the fact that there's no actual cutting involved! The autopsy table was obviously developed with educational purposes in mind, and we wouldn't be surprised to see these cropping up in museums all over the globe any day now. Check out the truly riveting video after the break.

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Video: iropod turns your desk into a big-ass mobile computer

by Thomas Ricker posted Aug 18th 2009 at 5:55AM

Look, we like the idea of an ergonomic workstation with a VESA monitor mount. Integrate a slip-in laptop dock and we might even be tempted to reach for our credit cards. But designer Rad Iliuta seems to have built the computer right into the chassis of the iropod (Interactive Robotic Pod) while fitting it with a battery "as powerful as a car battery" offering a claimed 24-hours of freedom... you know, when you want to pack this into your backpack or take it into the woods. It's said to be launching in the 3rd quarter of this year which by our count gives them until September to get this thing priced and rolled out the door, literally. However, without a single PC spec listed on its website of dubious design we have our doubts about that time schedule. Insane or insanely awesome, let Rad know your thoughts in the comments below. Quickie video after the break.

Gallery: Video: iropod turns your desk into a big-ass mobile computer

Continue reading Video: iropod turns your desk into a big-ass mobile computer

Future Routers pass themselves off as common household items: clocks, tables, jellyfish

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 17th 2009 at 3:01AM

We see plenty of sweet concept designs 'round here (not to mention some downright bizarre ones) so we're all pretty acquainted with wanting things that we can't have. That said, there are a couple of these Future Routers -- designed by a firm called TalkTalk in conjunction with Goldsmiths, University of London -- that inspire some serious techno-lust. Route O'Clock, for instance, not only keeps tabs on your bandwidth utilization, but it displays the info on the clock face itself -- and looks good doing it. Also quite eye-pleasing is the Hybrid, a model that passes itself off as a hardwood side table. On the slightly more bizarre end of the spectrum is the aptly name Jellyfish, which apparently takes up a lot of space and gives off a creepy blue glow (not one for those of you in one bedroom / studio apartments). Last but not least, the Energy Saver doubles as a key holder, with the dubious benefit of shutting itself off when the last key is picked up. The rationale behind this one is that when everyone leaves the flat, no one will be using the Internets -- we guess these guys have never heard of bit.torrent. Get a better look in the gallery below, and don't forget to check out the video after the break.

Gallery: Future Routers concepts

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Future Routers pass themselves off as common household items: clocks, tables, jellyfish

Laskmi-Do's Table Robot is the Segway for your beers

by Tim Stevens posted Jun 16th 2009 at 8:49AM

It's important to keep your guests properly hydrated at a party, but it's hard to not feel awfully demeaned while wandering around with a cocktail tray. Since hiring servants is so passe, the solution is Table Robot from Laskmi-Do Corp, a two-wheeled, self-balancing bot that features a particularly unsteady looking design. It's tall and slender, balancing a tabletop on two scrawny little wheels, a feat it showed off at last week's FOOMA Japan, Tokyo's biggest gathering for foodies and related geeks. The natural comparison is to a Segway, but this is a full-fledged robot, capable of cruising around under remote control and, soon, following you around by voice, meaning a fresh and precisely balanced mohito may soon be just a word away. Click on through for the video.

[Via DigInfo]

Continue reading Laskmi-Do's Table Robot is the Segway for your beers

Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table

by Darren Murph posted Apr 18th 2009 at 1:23AM

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for Epson to get into the touch-surface game -- most of the larger versions are projector-based, and Epson's been making great little beamers for quite some time. Showcased earlier this year at ISE 2009 alongside a multitouch air hockey table, the Core 2 Duo-powered X-Desk boasts a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel and possesses the ability to recognize up to 16,000 objects using "Smart Tags." Also of note, gesture recognition software enables users to actually speak to the table and see results, though there's no word on whether raising your voice or blurting out obscenities improves efficiency. Like all of these things, we've nary a clue when they'll really be available for the layperson to purchase, but you can certainly live vicariously by hopping past the break.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Continue reading Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table

Reactable multitouch table / musical instrument goes into production

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 2nd 2009 at 7:18AM

This so-called Reactable built by some researchers at Pompeu Fabra University has been making the rounds of trade shows and other events for quite a while now, but it looks like the group is now really getting their act together by forming a company (Reactable Systems) and putting the device into production. The table itself is not too dissimilar from some of the other multitouch tables out there, but it takes a slightly different tact by focusing primarily on the device's potential as a musical instrument. To make things even simpler for the users, the table makes use of a series of "pucks" that each control a different aspect of the system, and are able to interact with each other when they're in close proximity. No word on a price or actual release date just yet, as you might expect, but you can check it out in action in the video after the break.

[Via MusicRadar]

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SMART Table now available in North America and UK

by Darren Murph posted Feb 11th 2009 at 8:24AM

We heard that the SMART Table would be ready for playtime in Spring of 2009, and here she is, a few months early. The kid-friendly multitouch table is now available for purchase in North America and the United Kingdom, and as expected, it's being marketed towards educational institutions looking for new and exciting ways to help kids learn. The 230i (the only model currently offered) weighs in at 150 pounds and features an XGA DLP projector, integrated speakers, an inbuilt digital camera to track touches and multitouch capabilities courtesy of DViT (Digital Vision Touch) technology. We're still not told just how much resellers will be charging, but we'll stick to the "at least seven or eight grand" figure we heard when toying with one last October. Demo vid is after the break.

Continue reading SMART Table now available in North America and UK

Patent app for touchscreen printer from Sony Surfaces

by Tim Stevens posted Jan 28th 2009 at 8:04AM

An interesting concept from Sony has come to light courtesy of the US Patent & Trademark Office, deftly titled: "Image forming device, having an ejection tray, and a display is mounted to a cover." That's a lot of words to describe what is basically a Surface-like touchscreen mounted onto a flat, clamshell printer (shown open after the break). The idea is for users to set their cameras down, view and manipulate images wirelessly, and then print them directly to honest to gosh paper. It appears to be quite a bit smaller than Microsoft's uber-table, and a lot less likely to get Al Roker's groove on too, but it also looks rather more practical and affordable; something you might actually expect to see in someone's home in the next few years. But, don't get too excited about the real-world prospects here -- your guess is as good as ours about Sony's plans for bringing this to market.

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Kids-on with the SMART Table

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 23rd 2008 at 1:23PM

We got to play around with a SMART Table in a classroom full of lucky kids at Haines Elementary School in Chicago this morning, and we came away impressed with how much they loved it. The multitouch table is built on the same basic idea and hardware as Microsoft Surface -- Vista PC, XGA projector, infrared camera -- but it's a custom patented SMART design, not Surface lite or anything like that. That said, the multitouch system isn't quite as responsive as Surface, and the kid-proof plastic screen felt a little weird, but it certainly works well enough -- the Table recognizes up to 40 touches (enough for six kids to play comfortably, we were told) and we saw some interesting demos, ranging from the standard rotate / zoom photo app to painting and puzzle games. Teachers get admin access with a special USB key that enables them to manage apps, and there's an SDK in the works, so hopefully there'll be quite a few to manage. SMART says the Table should start shipping next spring for somewhere between $7,000 to $8,000 each -- obviously the company will be targeting school systems with its extensive SMART Board sales network, but well-off parents will be able to score one for their hopelessly spoiled darling children as well. Check a few vids of the table in action after the break.

Gallery: Smart Table hands-on

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SMART pulls the cloth off multitouch table for school kids

by Samuel Axon posted Oct 22nd 2008 at 10:07PM

Determined to make us jealous that our kids' childhood experiences are more marvelous than ours, SMART Technologies will tomorrow unveil the SMART Table, a primary education "interactive learning center" (we'd rather call it Surface Jr.). It'll be available Spring of next year, and will work out of the box with learning applications that can be operated by any number of kids and all their fingers. Other classroom multitouch devices are on the horizon, but most of them are a little further from market than this Canadian contraption, which includes custom lesson plans, gesture support and a (touted but unspecified) wide viewing angle. At $8,000 we're not sure it's an option for public schools whose budgets only have room for essentials, but if you work at a school that's totally loaded with cash and think the kiddos would dig this, feel free to look at SMART's short promotional vid after the break.

Continue reading SMART pulls the cloth off multitouch table for school kids

Super Nintendo controller table signals a trend

by Darren Murph posted Aug 30th 2008 at 10:35PM

Remember that fad where everyone had dining room tables of their favorite Disney character? Or the age in the 70s where tables were shaped like lava lamps? No? At any rate, the modders over at SCAD Inc. have spent all summer crafting a fully-functional Super Nintendo controller-table, which reminds us an awful lot of the fully-functional NES controller-table we saw in May of this year. So, which geek is gonna take on the N64 controller table? Or better yet, the Virtual Boy?

The $2,200 solar powered SunTable is now shipping

by Thomas Ricker posted Aug 8th 2008 at 4:11AM

Remember SunTable? After some delay and well-placed design touch-ups, the table made from teak, stainless steel and you guessed it, solar cells is now shipping. Better yet, it's no longer priced at $3,600 either. For $2,200, UPS will ship the 45-pound weatherproof, 120 volt table with enough battery storage for about 4-hours of laptop / TV use or 6-hours of night time lighting from a 25 watt bulb -- after a 4-hour direct sunlight charge mind you. As pricey as it is, we're feeling strangely compelled by our fear of the omniscient baby-Gore to place an order for the Engadget victory garden.

Gallery: The $2,200 solar powered SunTable is now shipping

Crapgadget: brick satellite covers, ladybug card readers and more laughable abominations

by Darren Murph posted Jul 20th 2008 at 8:30PM

You know what's lamer than the thought of just how close 7:00AM on a Monday morning is from now? These five gadgets. Things are really neck-and-neck in this edition of the world's poorest attempts in the consumer electronics space, with everything from a brick-colored satellite dish cover (is drunk designing the new drunk dialing?), a ladybug-shaped multicard reader and a carpal tunnel-inducing aircraft mouse. Oh, and lest we forget the "Big Time" watch table and cellphone wristband, both of which are also very worth candidates for this round's most pitiful. Give each a look below, and after you're through chuckling / vomiting, exercise your right to vote on the best (worst?) below.

Read - Brick-colored dish cover
Read - Ladybug multicard reader
Read - USB aircraft mouse
Read - Giant watch table
Read - Gadget wristband

Reflect table monitors conversations with LEDs, shows who's all talky

by Joshua Fruhlinger posted Jun 28th 2008 at 10:10PM

There's always that guy (or girl) who dominates meetings, saying the same thing over and over again, or just repeats what others say. We all find it annoying, and we all wish there was some way to make that blabbermouth aware of his (or her) social transgressions. Enter the Reflect table. Reflect monitors conversations and visualizes -- literally -- who has the table using an array of color LEDs. Microphones listen to all the talk and show who is currently talking, who talks the most, and who's being left out. This could be great for business meetings to tone down the "thinking outside the box," but could also be a terrifying ordeal on a first date.

[Via MAKE]

DIYer builds fully-functional NES controller coffee table, earns mad respect

by Darren Murph posted May 9th 2008 at 9:42AM

Nah, the idea of using a freshly-mushroomed NES controller as your coffee table isn't new, but we've got to give props where props are due on this one. Kyle Downes has just completed a painstaking project that resulted in his very own NES controller table, complete with a removable glass top to protect the unit itself. Best of all, it's way more than just a living room centerpiece. Open it up and you'll find loads of storage room for items any Big N fanboy shouldn't be without. Remove the glass covering and you'll realize that it's a fully-functional Nintendo Entertainment System control pad. Don't believe us? Check out the video after the break.

[Via GeekLifeBlog]

Continue reading DIYer builds fully-functional NES controller coffee table, earns mad respect