New Computing Platform on Coffee Table Surface

Microsoft has recently launched a new age computing platform called Microsoft Surface(codenamed Milan Project). This new platform is in the form of a coffee table and has the potential to change the way we look at the current computing platform i.e. PCs and Notebooks, especially how we interact with them.

This new coffee table like device will use MS Surface to present a totally new kind of interface. You just need to touch and use your two fingers to work unlike your normal platform where you need to use mouse (or mouse pointer) and a key board at the least.

What can you do with this?
1) You put your cell phone containing images on the coffee table and the table will show you all the pictures of the cell phone. Use your two fingers on the table surface to re size the image and transfer it to the coffee table storage.
2) Put your Zune on the top and drag its files to your cell phone and it will be transferred or listen to the song or watch video on the table.
3) Use Maps and its various features to store data and transfer data and effortlessly and navigate through it. Use all actions using your finger tip or two fingers which you now do using mouse.
4) Multiple users can sit around the table and use it together to achieve the above.
Wonderful, isn't it? This is like working with virtual contents and physical objects interchangeably. I am amazed by the technology to say the least looking at the possibility of it making the interaction with digital medium so simple.
How does it work?

There are 3 core components to this new computing platform - Multi-touch screen, DLP light Engine as Projector, Machine-vision

Multi-Touch screen is the Coffee table surface which identifies multiple input signals from multiple users. This technology has been into research since 80s.It can also identify objects by its shape or coded 'Domino tags'.

Then there is machine vision which uses near infrared spectrum to identify physical objects like cell phone, PDAs, Zune using the reflected rays.

The third core component is the DLP projector for projection. The communication between the objects and the system is handled using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The operating system for MS Surface is an updated version of Windows Vista.

Universality

I am not aware if it is going to support devices from other vendors like Apple iPod. Looking at Microsoft, it is not thereby reducing the universal appeal. But whatever said and done, this is an amazing innovation.

Cheers
Abhishek