OmniTouch

OmniTouch is a depth sensing and wearable projection system introduced by Microsoft. The device provides an interactive, graphical and multitouch input on arbitrary surfaces (table tops, hands, arms, legs, paper, etc). It uses 3-D motion sensing and a projector to provide a touch screen on any surface. It is the first functioning technology that allows users to create and interact with images in a 3-D space.

OmniTouch requires the user to wear a shoulder mounted projector, which projects the touch screen on surfaces based on the user choice and tracks the hand movement for input. The device can then recognize the button press on the projected surface and the gestures in 3D space. It provides the user a larger area of interaction instead of confining them to a tiny screen. It is estimated that the bulky shoulder mount in the initial versions will be brought down to smaller sizes in future release of OmniTouch.

The short-range camera provides a 320x240 depth map at 30 frames per second. Objects as close as 8 inches can be easily imaged, with a relative error of 0.2 inches. However, the depth accuracy decreases and noise increases with an increase in distance. The projector provides a wide angle, focus-free projection of graphical elements, regardless of the distance from the projector. The camera and projector are mounted to a metal frame, which is worn on the user’s shoulder, and is secured using a chest strap. The projector and camera are tethered to a computer for prototyping.