What to make of HP’s “Wall of Touch”? The Wall Street Journal has a nifty little write-up of the technology, and comes away like it just shook hands with Brock Lesnar’s doctors. “Thank you so much, doctor!” The fact is, despite the fact that you don’t actually touch the Wall of Touch, the idea of touchscreen interfaces is no longer foreign and exotic. We’re several years after Jeff Han’s big demonstration, plus there was that iPhone thing.
The video explains what’s going on here. HP took a series of displays, stitched them together, then overlaid a “touch” technology, um, overlay. It works using cameras, sorta like Microsoft’s Project Natal.
Don’t expect to see one of these in your living room any time soon. For now, HP is aiming the wall at places of business, like airports, where they could use a big, hulking touch display.
Here’s a thought: which technology will Hollywood embrace more, 3D or touch? Imagine being able to “touch” the fabric of a character’s jacket and have them react, etc. No, I can’t imagine, stop trying to make me.