Catching the fiction curve : multi-touch, and Minority Report

For mainstream consumers – Apple was the first to launch a multi-touch device, the iPhone, Microsoft followed with the Surface. Whats next, someday we might give up our standard Laptops, and TVs, and home appliances – all we will have simple surfaces that allow intuitive interaction and tremendous possibilities. And how about making them waterproof and flexible too, so that we roll them up and go to the pool, and still enjoy connected life.

This post is not about any great philosophy on how do we interact with the ever complicating digital world around us, but a quick introduction to the multi-touch technology and some samples. Yes, multi-touch is definitely next step in user interaction and the big wave is coming.

 

Here is how it is done
Unlike the conventional touch screens, which can only register one point of interface, a multi-touch screen can register and react to many many points of touch, it allows you to interact with all your fingers at the same time, or more than one user at any time. Some multi-touch screens are sensitive to pressure as well, so it does matter how hard you press and the screen responds differently. Amazing.

Check out simple schematic on Apple iPhone page, shows how the iPhone interface is built. But here are some even greater possibilities, from Perceptive Pixel, this has really impressed me …reminds me of ‘Minority Report’ though, minus the personnel carrier jet-packs, and levitating cars – I will patiently wait for that stuff. or now the multi-touch is sufficient to keep me engaged.

 

Next in my wishlist
A multi-touch universal remote for my home! A remote that controls everythng in the house, with integrated application platform to browse internet, run Web 2.0 type applications, control my washing machine and owen, the temparature of water in the bath, flip thru my iTunes library, do Skype, integrate my mobile voice calls and SMS, watch TV channel guide and previews, and of course, when I like that channel then *transfer* it to my TV! …not asking for too much, hehz :)