Before the iPhone and touch screens, My friend and I saw this add for MS Surface. We loved the idea but didn't have $12,500 to buy one. However the NUI Group, was a open source project that showed how to make a multi-touch table. The 'Shadow Box' was first attempt at making a multi-touch interface.
Stage 1: ShadowBox
This proof of concept of the multi-touch system not using IR technology and using the human eye viable spectrum 400nm-700mn. Building two so Dan and Bob can play with them.
Phase 1 Research Gather Supplies needed
| Items needed | cost | comments |
| 2 usb web cams | ~$10 | being shipped |
| 2 Glass/plexi | ~$8 | will buy |
| Box | free cardboard | have |
| Diffuser | free paper | have |
| Projector | don't need | |
| IR gear | done need |
Phase 2 Design/Build
Diagram 1: Shadow box design
Phase 3 Test Hardware/Software Setup
web cams is installed and have been calibrated (aligned and focused)
Software Calibration done (tbeta)
Phase 4 Develop Software
Successfully ran Photo Demo software
Phase 5 Review Improvements for next version
Pros
- Cheap to make
- Simple to make
- Would be easy to do large scale (maybe use sun as exterior light)
Cons
- exterior shadows cause slight problems with touch recognition
- exterior lights need for use (lights need to be positioned optimally)
- not very reliable as far as accuracy or consistent results
- No good way to read QR codes
- No good way to integrate display into the surface (using visible light)
- No or very little difference between hovering and touching surface
Improvement to current design
- Exterior lights
- learned that over head lights are better then light coming at sideways angle
- printer paper worked well, but paper was fibrous. This caused little dark spots for the web cam
- would like to use material that has consistent density (less fibrous)
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