remote enterprise management - dspacedspace.cusat.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2226/1/surface...

1 Division of Computer Science, SOE

Surface Computing

SURFACE COMPUTING

A SEMINAR REPORT

Submitted by

CHITHIRA SAJEEV

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

Of

B-TECH DEGREE

In

COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY KOCHI- 682022

JULY, 2010


Surface Computing

Division of Computer Engineering

School of Engineering

Cochin University of Science &

Technology Kochi-682022

_________________________________________________________

CERTIFICATE

Certified that this is a bonafide record of the seminar work titled

Surface computingSurface computingSurface computingSurface computing

Done by

Chithira SajeevChithira SajeevChithira SajeevChithira Sajeev

of VII semester Computer Science & Engineering in the year 2010 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science & Engineering of Cochin University of Science & Technology

Dr.David Peter S Dr.David Peter S Dr.David Peter S Dr.David Peter S Deepa PaulDeepa PaulDeepa PaulDeepa Paul

Head of the Division Seminar Guide


Surface Computing

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank GOD almighty for guiding me throughout the seminar. I

would like to thank all those who have contributed to the completion of

the seminar and helped me with valuable suggestions for improvement.

I am extremely grateful to Dr. David Peter, HOD, Division of

Computer Science, for providing me with best facilities and atmosphere

for the creative work guidance and encouragement. I would like to thank

my coordinator, Mr.Sudheep Elayidom, Sr. Lecturer, Division of

Computer Science, and my guide Mrs. Deepa Paul , Lecturer ,

Division of Computer Science , SOE for all help and support extended

to me.

I thank all the Staff members of my college and my friends for

extending their cooperation during my seminar. Above all I would like to

thank my parents without whose blessings; I would not have been able to

accomplish my goal.

CHITHIRA SAJEEV


Surface Computing

ABSTRACT

The name Surface comes from "surface computing," and

Microsoft envisions the coffee-table machine as the first of many such

devices. Surface computing uses a blend of wireless protocols, special

machine-readable tags and shape recognition to seamlessly merge the real

and the virtual world — an idea the Milan team refers to as "blended

reality." The table can be built with a variety of wireless transceivers,

including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and (eventually) radio frequency

identification (RFID) and is designed to sync instantly with any device

that touches its surface. It supports multiple touch points – Microsoft says

"dozens and dozens" -- as well as multiple users simultaneously, so more

than one person could be using it at once, or one person could be doing

multiple tasks. The term "surface" describes how it's used. There is no

keyboard or mouse. All interactions with the computer are done via

touching the surface of the computer's screen with hands or brushes, or

via wireless interaction with devices such as smartphones, digital cameras

or Microsoft's Zune music player. Because of the cameras, the device can

also recognize physical objects; for instance credit cards or hotel

"loyalty" cards. For instance, a user could set a digital camera down on

the tabletop and wirelessly transfer pictures into folders on Surface's hard


Surface Computing

drive. Or setting a music player down would let a user drag songs from

his or her home music collection directly into the player, or between two

players, using a finger – or transfer mapping information for the location

of a restaurant where you just made reservations through a Surface

tabletop over to a smartphone just before you walk out the door.


Surface Computing

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

ABSTRACT i

LIST OF FIGURES ii

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. WHAT IS SURFACE COMPUTING? 3

2.1 How It All Started 4

2.2 Hardware Design 5

2.3 From Prototype to Product 6

3. THE UNDERLYING TECHNOLOGY 7

3.1 Multi Touch User Interaction 7

3.2 Tangible User Interface 7

3.3 Multi User Interface 7

3.4 Object Recognition 7

3.5 Technology Behind it 7

4. MICROSOFT SURFACE OVERVIEW 10


Surface Computing

4.1 The Hardware 10

4.1.1 Screen 11

4.1.2 Infra Red 11

4.1.3 CPU 11

4.1.4 Projector 11

4.2 System Software 13

4.3 Working 14

5. FEATURES 15

5.1 Multi Touch Display 15

5.2 Perceptive Pixel 16

6. APPLICATIONS 18

6.1 Water 18

6.2 Video Puzzle 19

6.3 Paint 20

6.4 Music 21

6.5 Photos 22

6.6 Dining 23

6.7 Minor Reports of Surface Computers 24

7. FUTURE SCOPE AND CONCLUSION 25

REFERENCES 27


Surface Computing

LIST OF FIGURES

TITLE PAGENO

Fig 2.1 Surface Computing in 2003 5

Fig 2.2 Microsoft Surface Today 5

Fig 3.1 Total Internal Reflection Technology 8

Fig 4.1 Microsoft Surface Hardware 11

Fig 5.1 Multi Touch 15

Fig 5.2 Demo of Perceptive Pixels Multi Touch 17

Fig 6.1 Application In Microsoft Surface 18

Fig 6.2 Video Puzzle 19

Fig 6.3 Paint Application 20

Fig 6.4 Music Application In Microsoft Surface 21

Fig 6.5 Photos 22

Fig 6.6 Dining 23

Fig 6.7 Apple ROSIE Surface Computer 24

Fig 6.8 Future Application of Surface Computer 25


Surface Computing

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Surface computing is the term for the use of a specialized computer GUI in which

traditional GUI elements are replaced by intuitive, everyday objects. Instead of a

keyboard and mouse, the user interacts directly with a touch-sensitive screen. It has

been said that this more closely replicates the familiar hands-on experience of

everyday object manipulation

Over the past couple of years, a new class of interactive device has begun to

emerge, what can best be described as “surface computing”. Two examples are

illustrated in this report. They are-

• Surface Table top

• Perceptive Pixel

The Surface table top typically incorporates a rear-projection display coupled

with an optical system to capture touch points by detecting shadows from below.

Different approaches to doing the detection have been used, but most employ some

form of IR illumination coupled with IR cameras. With today’s camera and signal-

processing capability, reliable responsive and accurate multi-touch capabilities can be

achieved.

The multitouch pioneer and his company, Perceptive Pixel, have devoted the

better part of two years to building an entirely new multitouch framework from the

ground up. Instead of simply mapping multitouch technology to familiar interfaces

and devices, Han's goal is far more sweeping: To use the technology as a foundation

for an entirely new operating system.

Because they are new to most, the tendency in seeing these systems is to

assume that they are all more-or-less alike. Well, in a way that is true. But on the

other hand, that is perhaps no more so than to say that all ICs are more-or-less alike,

since they are black plastic things with feet like centipedes which contain a bunch of

transistors and other stuff. In short, the more that you know, the more you can

differentiate. But even looking at the two systems in the photo, there is evidence of

really significant difference.


Surface Computing

The really significant difference is that one is vertical and the other is

horizontal. Why is this significant? Well, this is one of those questions perhaps best

answered by a child in kindergarten. They will tell you that if you put a glass of water

on the vertical one, it will fall to the floor, leading to a bout of sitting in the corner. On

the other hand, it is perfectly safe to put things on a table. They will stay there.


Surface Computing

CHAPTER 2

WHAT IS SURFACE COMPUTING?

For years engineers and computer technicians have looked for a better way for

people to communicate with their computers. Keyboards while feeling natural to

many of us has advanced very little beyond the typewriters which have been around

for well over a hundred years and though the mouse is a step above that it still takes

practice for someone who has never used one to become used to the idea of moving

the mouse with it and after years of using a computer many older people still have

trouble with the concepts of double clicking, right clicking, dragging, dropping and

other techniques that can seem simple to more advanced computer users.

The most recent solution, and one that seems likely to stick is that of surface

computing. Surface computing at its most basic is an attempt to make the use of a

computer better match the way we interact with other things in our environments as

well as better interacting with those things and allowing for far less time thinking

about how we interact with our computers so more energy can be put into how we use

them.

The most common and popular type of surface computing is that of touch screen

monitors of the type that can be found on many modern phones. These are also

common in many businesses where untrained workers are expected to use a computer.

Until recently though these touch screen monitors were really little more than a

replacement of the mouse. You could still only point at one thing at a time, and it

wasn't even as good as a mouse because you can't right click or highlight things

without using a keyboard.

More recently though both Microsoft and Apple have come up with new ways

to use surface computing.Microsoft's plan is a device called Microsoft Surface which

takes the form of a large table and would be used in places such as hotels and casinos

or board rooms. The key difference between this and other similar devices is the multi

touch system. This allows users to use both hands to manipulate things such as

photos, as well as the use of hand gestures and even physical gestures. Other features


Surface Computing

on the Microsoft surface allows for wireless communicates between devices so

things like phones, cameras and laptops can sync with the table and move data

between them effortlessly.

Surface computing is a powerful movement. In fact, it’s as significant as the

move from DOS [Disk Operating System] to GUI [Graphic User Interface]. Our

research shows that many people are intimidated and isolated by today’s technology.

Many features available in mobile phones, PCs and other electronic devices like

digital cameras aren’t even used because the technology is intimidating. Surface

computing breaks down those traditional barriers to technology so that people can

interact with all kinds of digital content in a more intuitive, engaging and efficient

manner. It’s about technology adapting to the user, rather than the user adapting to the

technology. Bringing this kind of natural user interface innovation to the computing

space is what Surface Computing is all about.

2.1 How It All Started

In 2001, Stevie Bathiche of Microsoft Hardware and Andy Wilson of Microsoft

Research began working together on various projects that took advantage of their

complementary expertise in the areas of hardware and software. In one of their regular

brainstorm sessions, they started talking about an idea for an interactive table that

could understand the manipulation of physical pieces. Although there were related

efforts happening in academia, Bathiche and Wilson saw the need for a product where

the interaction was richer and more intuitive, and at the same time practical for

everyone to use. This conversation was the beginning of an idea that would later

result in the development of Surface, and over the course of the following year,

various people at Microsoft involved in developing new product concepts, including

the gaming-specific PlayTable, continued to think through the possibilities and

feasibility of the project. Then in October 2001 a virtual team was formed to fully

pursue bringing the idea to the next stage of development; Bathiche and Wilson were

key members of the team.


Surface Computing

Fig 2.1 Surface Computing In 2003(T1 Prototype)

2.2 Hardware Design:

By late 2004, the software development platform of Surface was well-

established and attention turned to the form factor. A number of different

experimental prototypes were built including “the tub” model, which was encased in

a rounded plastic shell, a desk-height model with a square top and cloth-covered

sides, and even a bar-height model that could be used while standing. After extensive

testing and user research, the final hardware design (seen today) was finalized in

2005. Also in 2005, Wilson and Bathiche introduced the concept of surface

computing in a paper for Gates’ twice-yearly “Think Week,” a time Gates takes to

evaluate new ideas and technologies for the company.

Fig 2.2 Microsoft Surface today


Surface Computing

2.3 From Prototype to Product:

The next phase of the development of Surface focused on continuing the

journey from concept to product. Although much of what would later ship as Surface

was determined, there was significant work to be done to develop a market-ready

product that could be scaled to mass production.

In early 2006, Pete Thompson joined the group as general manager, tasked with

driving end-to-end business and growing development and marketing. Under his

leadership, the group has grown to more than 100 employees. Today Surface has

become the market-ready product once only envisioned by the group, a 30-inch

display in a table like form factor that’s easy for individuals or small groups to use

collaboratively. The sleek, translucent surface lets people engage with Surface using

touch, natural hand gestures and physical objects placed on the surface. Years in the

making, Microsoft Surface is now poised to transform the way people shop, dine,

entertain and live. This is a radically different user-interface experience than anything

and it’s really a testament to the innovation that comes from marrying brilliance and

creativity.


Surface Computing

CHAPTER 3

THE UNDERLYING TECHNOLOGY

The Core features of Surface Computer consists of :

3.1 Multi-touch user interaction- The horizontal form factor makes it easy for

several people to gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative,

face‐to‐face computing

3.2 Tangible user interface- Surface aims to provide physical form of digital information.

i) One can draw on surface with any physical paint brush.

ii) placed on the Surface, squares of glass can play videos (puzzle).

Hand gestures are preferred to physical instruments.

3.3 Multi-user Interface- Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger

different types of digital responses. They are identified by their shapes or embedded

ID tags. Surface acts as a mediator between devices(e.g. data exchange between

digital camera and Mobile phone).

3.4 Object Recognition- Surface also features the ability to recognize physical

objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes. This means that when a

customer simply sets a wine glass on the surface of a table, a restaurant could provide

them with information about the wine they’re ordering, pictures of the vineyard it

came from and suggested food pairings tailored to that evening’s menu.

3.5 Technology behind it

The main idea behind the surface technology is to let people interact with their digital

content in a much more new and innovative way which is quite different from the

traditional ways. The concept is to give digital content a new dimension where it is


Surface Computing

not restricted to your mobile phones or television sets rather has the ability to

interact with you physically.

Microsoft Surface uses cameras to sense objects, hand gestures and touch.

This user input is then processed and displayed using rear projection. Specifically:

• Microsoft Surface uses a rear projection system which displays an image onto

the underside of a thin diffuser.

• Objects such as fingers are visible through the diffuser by series of infrared–

sensitive cameras, positioned underneath the display.

• An image processing system processes the camera images to detect fingers,

custom tags and other objects such as paint brushes when touching the display.

• The objects recognized with this system are reported to applications running in

the computer so that they can react to object shapes, 2D tags, movement and

touch.

One of the key components of surface computing is a "multitouch" screen. It is

an idea that has been floating around the research community since the 1980s and is

swiftly becoming a hip new product interface — Apple's new iPhone has multitouch

scrolling and picture manipulation. Multitouch devices accept input from multiple

fingers and multiple users simultaneously, allowing for complex gestures, including

grabbing, stretching, swiveling and sliding virtual objects across the table. And the

Surface has the added advantage of a horizontal screen, so several people can gather

around and use it together. Its interface is the exact opposite of the personal computer:

cooperative, hands-on, and designed for public spaces.


Surface Computing

Fig 3.1 Total Internal Reflection Technology

• Uses IR cameras to sense objects, hand gestures and finger touch.

• Uses a Rare projection system which displays on to the underside of a thin diffuser.

• Objects such as fingers are visible through the diffuser by series of IR

cameras, positioned underneath the display.

• An image processing system processes the camera images to detect the fringes.

• Objects recognized are reported to the applications running in the computer sothat

they can react to objects shape,movement and touch of the finger.


Surface Computing

CHAPTER 4

MICROSOFT SURFACE OVERVIEW

Microsoft Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive

computing experience. The product provides effortless interaction with digital content

through natural gestures, touch and physical objects. In Essence, it’s a surface that

comes to life for exploring, learning, sharing, creating, buying and much more.

Currently available in select in restaurants, hotels, retail establishments and public

entertainment venues, this experience will transform the way people shop, dine,

entertain and live.

Surface is a 30‐inch display in a table‐like form factor that’s easy for

individuals or small groups to interact with in a way that feels familiar, just like in the

real world. Surface can simultaneously recognize dozens and dozens of movements

such as touch, gestures and actual unique objects that have identification tags similar

to bar codes. Surface computing breaks down traditional barriers between people and

technology, changing the way people interact with all kinds of everyday content, from

photos to maps to menus. The intuitive user interface works without a traditional

mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information by using

their hands and natural movements. Users are able to access information either on

their own or collaboratively with their friends and families, unlike any experience

available today.

4.1 The Hardware:

Essentially, Microsoft Surface is a computer embedded in a medium-sized

table, with a large, flat display on top that is touch-sensitive. The software reacts to

the touch of any object, including human fingers, and can track the presence and

movement of many different objects at the same time. In addition to sensing touch,

the Microsoft Surface unit can detect objects that are labelled with small "domino"

stickers, and in the future, it will identify devices via radio-frequency identification

(RFID) tags.

The demonstration unit I used was housed in an attractive glass table about

three feet high, with a solid base that hides a fairly standard computer equipped with

an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, an AMI BIOS, 2 GB of RAM, and Windows Vista.


Surface Computing

The team lead would not divulge which graphics card was inside, but they said that

it was a moderately powerful graphics card from either AMD/ATI or NVIDIA.

Fig 4.1Microsoft Surface Hardware

(1) Screen: A diffuser turns the Surface's acrylic tabletop into a large horizontal

"multitouch" screen, capable of processing multiple inputs from multiple users. The

Surface can also recognize objects by their shapes or by reading coded "domino" tags.

(2) Infrared: Surface's "machine vision" operates in the near-infrared spectrum, using

an 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source aimed at the screen. When objects

touch the tabletop, the light reflects back and is picked up by multiple infrared cameras

with a net resolution of 1280 x 960.

(3) CPU: Surface uses many of the same components found in everyday desktop

computers — a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card.

Wireless communication with devices on the surface is handled using WiFi and

Bluetooth antennas (future versions may incorporate RFID or Near Field

Communications). The underlying operating system is a modified version of Microsoft

Vista.

(4) Projector: Microsoft's Surface uses the same DLP light engine found in many

rearprojection HDTVs. The footprint of the visible light screen, at 1024 x 768 pixels, is

actually smaller than the invisible overlapping infrared projection to allow for better

recognition at the edges of the screen.

The display screen is a 4:3 rear-projected DLP display measuring 30 inches


Surface Computing

diagonally. The screen resolution is a relatively modest 1024x768, but the touch

detection system had an effective resolution of 1280x960. Unlike the screen resolution,

which for the time being is constant, the touch resolution varies according to the size of

the screen used—it is designed to work at a resolution of 48 dots per inch. The top

layer also works as a diffuser, making the display clearly visible at any angle.

Unlike most touch screens, Surface does not use heat or pressure sensors to

indicate when someone has touched the screen. Instead, five tiny cameras take

snapshots of the surface many times a second, similar to how an optical mouse works,

but on a larger scale. This allows Surface to capture many simultaneous touches and

makes it easier to track movement, although the disadvantage is that the system cannot

(at the moment) sense pressure.

Five cameras mounted beneath the table read objects and touches on the acrylic

surface above, which is flooded with near-infrared light to make such touches easier to

pick out. The cameras can read a nearly infinite number of simultaneous touches and

are limited only by processing power. Right now, Surface is optimized for 52 touches,

or enough for four people to use all 10 fingers at once and still have 12 objects sitting

on the table. The unit is rugged and designed to take all kinds of abuse. Senior director

of marketing Mark Bolger demonstrated this quite dramatically by slamming his hand

onto the top of the screen as hard as he could—it made a loud thump, but the unit itself

didn't move. The screen is also water resistant. At an earlier demonstration, a skeptical

reporter tested this by pouring his drink all over the device. Microsoft has designed the

unit to put up with this kind of punishment because it envisions Surface being used in

environments such as restaurants where hard impacts and spills are always on the

menu.

The choice of 4:3 screen was, according to Nigel Keam, mostly a function of

the availability of light engines (projectors) when the project began. Testing and user

feedback have shown that the 4:3 ratio works well, and the addition of a slight amount

of extra acrylic on each side leaves the table looking like it has normal dimensions.

Built-in wireless and Bluetooth round out the hardware capabilities of Surface. A

Bluetooth keyboard with a built-in track pad is available to diagnose problems with the

unit, although for regular use it is not required.


Surface Computing

4.2 System software:

Microsoft Surface works much like another Microsoft product, Media Centre,

in that the main application runs on top of Windows and takes over the whole screen.

Like Media Centre, it is designed to be difficult to exit the application without using a

mouse or keyboard. I asked if the Surface team considered allowing the user to drop

into Windows mode while retaining the touch functionality, but they felt that the

product worked better if it stayed in this mode.

The various demonstration programs are accessed from a main menu, which

scrolls left and right in an endless loop. The user moves the selection by swiping back

and forth and selects an application with a single tap. This works reasonably well and

feels quite natural. When an application is selected, a swirly purple ring appears in the

centre of the screen to indicate that the program is loading.

There were eight different programs available: Water, Video Puzzle, Paint,

Music, Photos, Casino, a T-Mobile demonstration app, and Dining. Much of the

software was written using Microsoft's WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation),

though the XNA development toolkit, a framework originally created for writing PC

and Xbox 360 games, is also supported. XNA allows programmers to use managed

code written in C# to manipulate various DirectX features; managed code frees the

programmer from worrying about handling memory, allocating and discarding memory

automatically. This approach has allowed Microsoft and its partners to write

impressive-looking demonstration programs for Surface more quickly than would

otherwise be possible.

4.3. Working


Surface Computing

Surface features a touch interface, but it doesn't use a touch screen. Instead, five

separate cameras are used to record motion on the table's surface. Five cameras were

needed because of field angle issues. In order to get the table as low as it is, five

cameras are used so that each one can have a small field of view. That translates into

better resolution and speed (measured in pixels/second) than a single camera with an

exceptionally wide-angle view of the table surface. The five cameras are near-

infrared devices, but that's not because they are trying to read heat signatures from

fingertips (or other body parts) on the table. Instead, it's because the entire surface of

Surface is bathed in light; by illuminating the top of the table, the cameras can easily

see when things are placed on it. Shining colored light across the surface of the table

would spoil the effect that Microsoft wants, so near-infrared light is used for invisible

illumination. Those cameras, which are located below the acrylic surface of the table,

can read a nearly infinite number of simultaneous touches, and are limited only by

processing power. Keam says that Surface has been optimized for 52 touches enough

for four people to use all 10 fingers at once and still have 12 objects sitting on the

table. In addition to recognizing fingers, Surface can recognize inanimate objects.

Microsoft has developed a 3/4" square tag called a "domino" that can be attached to

objects so that Surface can interact with them on the fly. Instead of relying on RFID,

the domino tag uses dots to encode its information. There is a single dot in the center

of the tag, three dots on one side for orientation, and space for eight more dots that are

read as data. Essentially, it's a one-byte data tag.

CHAPTER 5

FEATURES


Surface Computing

5.1 Multi-touch display. The Microsoft Surface display is capable of multi-touch

interaction, recognizing dozens and dozens of touches simultaneously, including

fingers, hands, gestures and objects.

Fig 5.1 Multi Touch

Perceptive Pixel’s touch screens work via frustrated total internal reflection

Technology. The acrylic surface has infrared LEDs on the edges. When undisturbed,

the light passes along predictable paths, a process known as total internal reflection.

When one or more fingers touch the surface, the light diffuses at the contact points,

changing the internal-reflection pathways. A camera below the surface captures the

diffusion and sends the information to image-processing software, which translates it

into a command.

Multitouch technology has been around since early research at the University of

Toronto in 1982. With multitouch devices, one or more users activate advanced

functions by touching a screen in more than one place at the same time. For example,

a person could expand or shrink images by pinching the edges of the display window

with the thumb and forefinger of one hand, explained Microsoft principal researcher

Bill Buxton.Users could also, while in contact with a point on a map, touch other

controls to make the system display information, such as nearby restaurants, about the

area surrounding the indicated location. This is accomplished much as it has been in

PCs for years. For example, desktop users can press the Alt and Tab keys at the same

time to toggle between open windows. The OS translates the simultaneous keystrokes

into a single command. Industry observers say tabletop computers are likely to

become a popular multitouchscreen implementation. Because multiple users at


Surface Computing

different Positions will work with tabletop systems, the computers must be able to

display material in different parts of the screen and move controls around to keep

them from blocking reoriented content. The systems can determine users’ locations

based on the positions from which they input commands or data. The computers then

orient their displays toward the tabletop edge

nearest to the user. Vendors are beginning to release commercial multitouch systems.

For example, Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories’ Diamond Touch table,

which includes a developer’s kit, can be used for small-group collaboration.

Horizontal orientation. The 30-inch display in a table-sized form factor

allows users to share, explore and create experiences together, enabling a truly

collaborative computing experience.

Dimensions. Microsoft Surface is 22 inches high, 21 inches deep and 42

inches wide.

Materials. The Microsoft Surface tabletop is acrylic, and its interior frame is

powder-coated steel.

5.2 Perceptive Pixel

Computer scientists see technologies such as surface computing and

multitouch as the key to a new era of ubiquitous computing, where processing power

is embedded in almost every object and everything is interactive. Last year, New

York University professor Jeff Han launched a company called Perceptive Pixel,

which builds six-figureplus custom multitouch drafting tables and enormous

interactive wall displays for large corporations and military situation rooms. "I firmly

believe that in the near future, we will have wallpaper displays in every hallway, in

every desk. Every surface will be a point of interaction with a computer," Han says,

"and for that to happen, we really need interfaces like this."


Surface Computing

Fig 5.2 Demo of Perceptive Pixel’s Multi-touch

The display’s surface is a six-millimeter-thick piece of clear acrylic, with infrared

LEDs on the edges. Left undisturbed, the light passes along predictable paths within

the acrylic, a process diffuses at the contact point, causing the acrylic’s internal-

reflection pathways to change. A camera below the surface captures the diffusion and

sends the information to image-processing software, which can read multiple touches

simultaneously and translate them into a command. The system sends information

about screen touches to applications via the lightweight Open Sound Control protocol,

utilized for network-based communication between computers and multimedia

devices, and User Datagram Protocol data transport technology. The applications then

take the appropriate actions. Perceptive Pixel, which has built a prototype that

measures 36 _ 27 inches, is still working on applications for its displays, Han noted.

They could be used for collaborative work on design-related and other projects,

perhaps in place of interactive whiteboards, he said.

Short-term success for a technology can be measured by how much attention a

product gathers when it is new. Long-term success is measured by how effectively

that product disappears into the everyday routine of life. Surface computing has

enormous potential to do both — it is a splashy new computer interface, surrounded

by hype, but it is also, quite literally, furniture. It is a technology in its infancy, where

even the engineers behind it can't predict its full impact; but the possibilities are

everywhere, underhand and underfoot — on every surface imaginable


Surface Computing

CHAPTER 6

APPLICATIONS

6.1 Water

Water is used as an "attract mode" for the Surface desktop, and it is certainly

attractive. The default background picture is an image of smooth pebbles that appear

to sit beneath a thin layer of rippling water. By itself, the water moves as if it were

being disturbed by a light breeze, but it is when you touch the screen that it becomes

more interesting than just another screensaver.

Fig 6.1 Application in Microsoft Surface

Tapping anywhere on the surface causes larger ripples to spread out from the point

of contact. Many people can tap at the same time, making an effect similar to a

rainstorm. But by far the most fun is when you sweep your whole hand across and

cause waves to bounce back and forth. The physics of the water simulation is not

perfect: the ripples never get above a certain intensity, and there is no way to simulate

diffraction. However, the overall effect is strangely compelling and is certainly a good

way to introduce people to Surface.

One interesting feature of Water is that if you take any object (the team used a regular

stove dial) and stick an identification sticker on the bottom, the program will switch

background pictures whenever you turn the dial.


Surface Computing

6.2 Video Puzzle

Video Puzzle showcases the power of the little identification tags mentioned

above. The tags consist of a pattern of variously-sized dots; Keam mentioned that the

dots currently represent an 8-bit code (256 permutations) but that 128-bit tags were in

the works. The neat thing about the tags is that they can be very nearly transparent

and the system will still pick them up. Not only can the tags transmit numerical

information, but the geometrical arrangement of the dots means that Surface can also

tell, to a high degree of accuracy, how much the tag (and therefore the object) has

rotated.

In Video Puzzle, these virtually invisible tags are placed upon small squares of

glass. When the pieces of glass are put on the table, the screen starts playing video

clips underneath each one. Because the video moves whenever you move the squares,

it creates the illusion that the glass itself is displaying the video, which looks very

futuristic. As you move the squares around, you quickly realize that the video clips

are all pieces of a larger video. Flipping the glass squares over inverts the video

playing underneath,making completing the puzzle even more of a challenge.

When you complete the puzzle correctly, the system senses the achievement,

congratulates you, and shows you the time taken to finish. According to Mark Bolger,

the current record for finishing when the pieces are fully randomized is 1 minute and

53 seconds. On my first attempt, I finished in just over 2 minutes, but the squares

were all right side up to begin with (Microsoft is nice to journalists, it seems).

Fig 6.2 Video Puzzle


Surface Computing

9.3 Paint

Paint programs have been a natural demonstration application for new

platforms ever since MacPaint graced the first Macintosh back in 1984. Surface’s

paint program is even lighter on features than MacPaint was, but the natural user

interface makes up for this deficiency.

Fig 6.3 Paint Application

There are three draw modes that can be toggled by touching an icon on the bottom of

the toolbar: brush, paint, and reveal, the last of which is kind of a negative brush that

shows a background bitmap underneath. The brush mode is a bit spotty and tends to

skip, but the paint mode is smooth and fun. You can draw using one finger, all your

fingers at once (good for drawing hair), the palm of your hand, or using any natural

object such as a regular paintbrush. Using the program is like having a flashback to

finger painting back in kindergarten (minus the mess), and certainly children will

have tons of fun with this kind of application.

That said, having this great touch interface absolutely cries out for a more

fullfeatured program, something that can mix colors (like Microsoft's own paint

program that comes with the Tablet PC version of Windows) and play around with

textures and natural materials. I immediately thought of Fractal Design Painter and

how much fun it would be with this interface. Of course, real digital artists have been


Surface Computing

using advanced pressure sensitive graphics tablets for years, and Surface is not

aimed at replacing this kind of workflow. Still, a more full-featured Paint program

would be nice to have, and Keam mentioned that the team is still deciding whether or

not to add features to Paint or instead take an existing paint program and rework it for

Surface.

6.4 Music

The Music application works like a virtual jukebox, displaying music

arranged by album and allowing the user to flip over albums, select songs, and drag

them to the "Now Playing" section. The album browser works a bit like Apple’s

Cover Flow, although many albums are visible at once without scrolling.

Fig 6.4 Music Application in Microsoft Surface

In addition to playing music that is already stored on the unit's hard drive, Music can

also transfer songs from portable music players. Mark Bolger demonstrated this by

placing two Zunes on top of the Surface and using the wireless connection to drag and

drop songs between the units, the song list, and the Now Playing section. I mentioned

to the team that this was the first time I had ever seen even one Zune "in the wild,"

and they joked that Microsoft headquarters didn’t really count as being in the wild.

Bolger noted that sharing songs in this manner would be "subject to DRM restrictions,

of course."


Surface Computing

6.5 Photos

Fig 6.5 Photos Application

Sharing photos is a much more unrestricted activity, thanks to the fact that

the consumer is also the creator of the content, and the photo album application

reflected this freedom. By simply placing a Bluetooth-equipped digital camera on the

tabletop, Surface was able to import the photos and place them in a pile on the screen,

which Bolger verified by taking a picture of Cindy, my Microsoft PR contact who

was sitting in the next chair. Most of the other photos were pictures of Microsoft

employees' children; Bolger joked that only the cutest kids were allowed to be put in

the demonstration.

Photos are arranged into albums that look like piles. Tapping the pile once

spreads it around the screen and from there you can drag, rotate, and resize the images

to your heart’s content. Since Surface can detect many touches at the same time,

multiple people can sort and resize pictures, which could potentially turn a tedious job

into a fun family affair. The program can also apparently sort photos into stacks by

using metadata tags, although I did not see this feature demonstrated.

Not only pictures but full-motion videos can be viewed in this way; tapping the

video once starts the playback, and it can be smoothly resized and rotated while it

plays.


Surface Computing

6.6 Dining

Fig 6.6 Hotel Enabled With Surface

The application allows diners to preview the entire menu by choosing a

category (drinks, appetizers, main courses, and so forth) and then scrolling left and

right through the available options. Items can be dragged into a central "ordering

area" and when everyone is satisfied with their choices, a single tap on the Order

button sends the list out to the waiter. This could potentially save service people huge

chunks of time and would be very useful for busy restaurants. The software can

display the daily specials, and for regular customers with their own identification

cards, it could display a list of "favorites" to make ordering even easier. Combine this

with entertainment activities for the kids (perhaps Paint?) and you can see how many

restaurants could view this as a compelling application


Surface Computing

6.7 Minor Reports of Surface Computers

The Rosie Surface Computer is an Apple based surface computer. It was created by

Savant home A/V computer and uses a 40 inch coffee table running apple technology

to create integration between computing and everyday tasks. The Savant surface is an

evolutionary technology that can download and share photos from digital cameras,

and also play music, movies, TV shows right onto its surface and accomplish

complete home control all from within one elegant interface. Savant plans to offer the

ROSIE Surface in a number of different furniture styles ranging from contemporary to

traditional.The hardware specs havent been released yet. However some features that

have been verified are:

§ Interaction with iTunes multimedia content, digital cameras, IP network

cameras, business card readers, and many more digital devices on the horizon.

§ Touchscreens readily created & customized via RacePoint Blueprint design

tool.

§ Customizable Hot Launch Buttons.

§ Custom tailored to suit any décor with the ROSIE Surface Kit.

Fig 6.7 APPLE Rosie surface computer


Surface Computing

CHAPTER 7

FUTURE SCOPE AND CONCLUSION

Although surface computing is a new experience for consumers, over

timeMicrosoft believes there will be a whole range of surface computing devices and

the technology will become pervasive in people’s lives in a variety of environments.

As form factors continue to evolve, surface computing will be in any number

of environments— schools, businesses, homes — and in any number of form factors

— part of the countertop, the wall or the refrigerator.

Some people will look at Surface and claim that it does nothing that hasn't

been tried before: computers with touch screens have been around for years and have

already found niches in ATMs, ticket ordering machines, and restaurant point-of-sale

devices.

This view largely misses the point of the product. Like most projects, Surface

takes existing technology and presents it in a new way. It isn't simply a touch screen,

but more of a touch-grab-move-slide-resize-and-place-objects-on-top-of-screen, and

this opens up new possibilities that weren't there before.

Fig 7.1Future Applications Of Surface Computing


Surface Computing

Playing with the unit felt a bit like being in the movie Minority Report (in a

good way), but it also felt like a more natural and enjoyable method of doing certain

computing tasks. Sharing and looking at family photos, for example, is more fun on

Surface than on any other device. The retail applications, particularly the dining

application, show how businesses could use the technology to really stand out from

competitors, though one wonders how diners will react when their table locks up and

needs a reboot.

Many people who viewed the early Xerox PARC demonstrations of the GUI

came out of that experience knowing that every computer would work that way

someday, and they were right. Playing with Surface, one gets the sense that although

not every computer will work like this someday, many of them will. More

importantly, computers running Surface-like software will end up in places that never

had computers before, and the potential applications are exciting. Imagine a

multiplayer real-time strategy game where you and another human opponent can

move units around as quickly as you can point to them. Or perhaps an educational

environment, where university students could assemble and disassemble anything

from molecules to skyscrapers quickly and easily.


Surface Computing

References

1. http://www.surface.com

2. http://www.perceptivepixel.com

3. http://www.apple.com/iphone/

4. http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/29/microsoft-announces-surface-computer

remote enterprise management - dspacedspace.cusat.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2226/1/surface...

Documents