CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Jeremy112 · Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 2649 Location: Fond du Lac, WI

Can this be done? I have read about it here and there, some I beleive used the Wii bar that goes on top of your TV to see you to do it, but is there any other way this can be done?

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

Start working for Microsoft and developing Windows 8...they have some neat stuff in the pipeline for sure.

Imagine Kinect for Windows....or think Minority Report!

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 4:29 am Post subject:

Oooohhh, facial recognition.... In 2012.... Too bad you'll probably need the Ultimate Doofus Edition for $299 to get the facial recognition. Windows fanboy much, Greg? Wait, what does this have to do with the OP's post? Oh, that's right... Nothing!!!

Jeremy... You're probably talking about Johnny Lee's project... If I were going to take a crack at DIY, I'd start there!

http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii

SC

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:14 am Post subject:

You take a chill pill. I'm not the one starting a thread just to bash. Besides, if you wanna bash Apple at every turn, then I'll do the same with Microsoft... Not that it's very hard.

I don't know what the future of HCI holds, but I can tell you it won't be Apple, and it definitely won't be Microsoft. That company is like a sailboat missing a rudder and centerboard. Would they be doing ANYTHING cool if it weren't for Johnny Lee going to work for them? They sure scored with that hire.

Oh, and I'd watch the videos, but I don't feel like installing more Microsoft software on my box just to watch a damn video.

SC

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

Wrong button Laughing

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

I must say Crabb man, i think youre a top bloke, i quite like you, but it seems quite apparent that there is one thing at least that we will never agree on, and that is well built PCs DO smoke Macintosh like a cheap cigar. No question about that. I know it first hand. I wont go into detail cause ill be here all night, and you really dont want to hear about it anyway, i can and will respect that.

Back to the task at hand, check out the Epson website, have a look at their range of projectors, there may be something there you will be supprised to see. If you cant find what im talking about, ill dig it up for you later on, but you should be able to find it Wink

stefuel · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:12 am Post subject:

You won't be using my projection screen as a touch screen. My house rules,
YOU TOUCH-A MY SCREEN, I BREAK-A YOU FINGERS... Laughing

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

That is a good rule too mate and ill be adopting that myself Wink

Jeremy112 · Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 2649 Location: Fond du Lac, WI

Guys, guys...
Lets get along here Smile

As for touching of the screen, I wouldn't be using a regular type screen for it. It would probably be some form of white plastic.

And no MS vs. Apple... I could go on forever with that debate (No apple is allowed to ever enter this premesis)

I should try that wiimote and see how that works Cool

Resume windows/apple hate talk......

now Smile

TheVerge · Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 928

Windows 8...

I can be done right now with a smart board, we had them in all the rooms in college. I think i had maybe 1 professor use it in >4 years.

perisoft · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 2920 Location: Ithaca, NY

I passed up some gar-freaking-gantuan rear projection whiteboard computer thing I spotted on CL (posted about it here when I thought there might be a big CRT PJ inside). It would have been great for my son to play with, but it had a digital in it, and without the ability to run it a ton of hours without worrying about bulb life, it wasn't worth the effort to retrieve.

I'd love to set something like that up with another PJ and flat wall, though, for my son to draw with if nothing else. Some cheesy VB code and a good web cam would probably result in some pretty fun finger painting antics!

(Oh, and also.. Mac vs. PC war? Seriously, guys, are we 12, or something? Mad

)

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:12 pm Post subject:

I knew I had something to add to this thread, and it just hit me. At CES 2009 I saw exactly what you want to do. No idea who it was, but I think this is how it worked:

It was two strips that shot infrared beams across a projection screen, one on the X and Y axis. You could place your hand/finger on the screen and the sensors picked up the X-Y coordinates. The beams were invisible, and the company had a smallish screen (60" diagonal?) showing a video game. REaction time was good, and it worked well.

I know it was on the first floor and I think in the HT area, if you want to look up a site map if it's posted somewhere.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Interesting. Crossed infrared LED beams was *exactly* the technology used in the first touch-screens I ever used.

That was on PLATO terminals. Thirty-five freakin' years ago. The more things change...

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:20 pm Post subject:

donnad · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 12

There's a product called smart board which is a touch screen and white board in one.

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Count me as someone who is a computer professional, who has been using PCs exclusively for the last 20+ years (mostly Unix before that), who has done literally hundreds of installs of NT, W2003, W2008, XP, Vista, and Win7 -- and who would much rather be using Macs.

Microsoft software has always been appallingly bad. They keep getting better but they're still way behind Apple in terms of usability and other aspects. I'm very certain Windows would be way clunkier if they didn't have the Macintosh shaming them to do better.

PC hardware can be had cheaply. Other than that I believe Macs beat Windows hands down. But my work requires Windoze so that's what I use.

jarseneau · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 323 Location: WI

Jeremy, I'm curious about what you are essentially seeking? It sounds like you would like an alternative method to a using a mouse to interact with the screen software that's a better fit considering the use of a projection screen. Do you actually want to be next to the screen while moving the mouse pointer and making selections or is the goal to have a way to do the mouse functions from a theater seated position without the need to fumble with a mouse in a theater chair?

There are a couple of simple alternatives if you mainly want to move the pointer and click selections with something more convenient/reliable than a mouse. The solution I've had the best satisfaction with is a wireless keyboard with built-in joystick (or touchpad) in place of the mouse. The keyboard that has worked the best for me is made for the PS3 but since it's Bluetooth, it works for a PC as well and is called the PS3 wireless mediaboard from Logitech. The range from the PC is better than most wireless keyboards (3-10 meters as opposed to most wireless being restricted to 3ft). The touchpad is a great mouse replacement with fast and accurate response, scroll control along one edge to do mousewheel functions, and right/left click buttons.