MediaComputingGroup
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BendDesk: the curved multitouch workspace of the future (video)
The Media Computing Group -- otherwise known as the dudes and dudettes responsible for making multitouch hip again -- is back, and some might say better than ever. The BendDesk is an outlandish new concept workspace for the future, relying heavily on a curved multitouch display to bring the wow. The desk is the Group's vision of merging multitouch with a common physical area, and it's probably the best implementation we've seen yet. A full ten touch points are supported, but the lower portion is also designed to be used as a standard desk, holding your laptop, paperwork and ink pen collection if you so choose. Shockingly enough, the whole thing looks exceptionally ergonomic, too. Head on past the break for a glimpse of it being used, but don't hold your breath waiting for a ship date and price -- something tells us it'll be awhile before either of those are published.
Madget physical controls for multitouch surfaces move themselves, blow our minds (video)
Remember SLAP widgets? It was a project at RWTH Aachen University's Media Computing Group, trying to add some tactile controls to touch-sensitive displays. Now that concept is back and better than ever with Madgets, magnetic widgets crafted by Malte Weiß and Jan Borchers. Madgets start with the same idea as SLAP widgets, but take it to another level thanks to an array of electromagnets inserted behind the touchscreen. Reflective markers are detected in IR to tell the table the location and state of a physical dial or pressed button, while the array of electromagnets can cause those buttons to be popped back up or actually move that dial across the multitouch surface. Inductive power transfer is even possible, with one Madget offering a red warning LED powered through the surface. It's mighty impressive stuff and we think you won't want to miss the video embedded after the break. [Thanks, Fabian Hemmert]
SLAP Widgets add movable, tactile controls to your surface computer
Looking to have the best of both worlds in terms of virtual and physical interfacing, Media Computing Group's developed the Silicon Illuminated Active Peripherals (SLAP) which, as the name suggests, consists of tangible widgets that can be placed anywhere on a surface computer and used for context-specific controls. Examples used are an Optimus-esque keyboard, a slider similar to those found on audio boards, and a knob for video editing. It's a clever approach, sure, but here's hoping future implementations will be able to include a sharper, higher resolution screen. Kindly direct yourself to the links below for video demonstration.[Via Core77]Read - Project websiteRead - Video presentation
