VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a new technology which
can be used to turn any flat surface into a multi-touch display. A multi-touch
display allows several users to control a digital information system
simultaneously by touching the display and moving their hands on the surface
of the display. This makes the user interface intuitive and easy to use. The
new VTT technology also makes it possible to construct large touch displays
for public facilities. Such a display was constructed for the Shanghai Expo
2010.
The new technology utilises computer vision to analyse the images relayed by
several video cameras in real time to detect the touch points.
Compared to current solutions, the new technology not only detects the touch
points, it also detects the depth of touch. This means that the users are not
required to actually touch the screen; they simply need to place their hands
in front of it. The new technology also makes it possible to turn any flat
surface into a multi-touch display. The technology is scalable, so the size of
the touch display is not limited.
The technology has been tested in a standard LCD display, and three large, 2.5
x 1.5-metre touch displays were constructed for the Shanghai Expo 2010. The
Shanghai touch displays were constructed in co-operation with Exiformat Oy and
Muotohiomo Oy. Muotohiomo was responsible for the content, while Exiformat
produced the interactive presentation technology. VTT provided the multi-touch
technology. The Shanghai Expo touch displays are used to present a photo show
of Finland. Several users can simultaneously move from one picture to another
by moving their hands in front of the display.
A picture of the multi-touch
displays: Photographer Derryck Menere, Finpro
