Projecting an interactive interface onto a desk is an idea that has been around for more than a decade, but existing designs never keep a more practical desk in mind. People clutter their desks with mugs, books, computers, papers, and more. Desktopography is a prototype device that incorporates the clutter.
The prototype, created by PH.D. students Robert Xiao, Scott Hudson, and Chris Harrison, uses a custom overhead projector equipped with a camera to cast an interactive Android smartphone interface onto most surfaces. Desktopography allows apps to spill out onto the desk for users to interact with. It was presented alongside their related paper at the Symposium on Engineering Interactive Computing Systems in Lisbon, Portugal.
Sony’s Xperia Touch projector offers similar technology, but Xiao’s team’s research takes it a step further. Desktopography isn’t limited to a rectangular screen like the Xperia Touch is. Instead, the screen can be dragged around the desk, resized, minimized to icons, or rotated using multi-touch gestures. It can even work on non-flat surfaces.
For people who move around while the work, the virtual apps can also be docked to the side of a physical object. For instance, a virtual calculator can be snapped to the side of a laptop. When the laptop is moved around the desk, the calculator moves along with it. If something gets in the way of the app, the system is smart enough to automatically reposition it somewhere it can be seen.
Aside from the interactive display, the projector itself is also a notable innovation. The camera, projector, and Android computer are completely self-contained with a standard lightbulb screw connector on one end. This makes installation as easy as replacing a bulb. With multiple projectors installed around a house, Desktopography can sync up over Wi-Fi. This allows users to move from their desk, to the kitchen, to the dining room table. All that is needed outside of the projector itself is a lamp placed near a workspace.
For more of the latest innovations from Carnegie Mellon University, be sure to check in with Digital Trends. Other recent developments include a spray paint that turns any surface into a touchpad.
Few things ruin a quiet evening faster than a robot vacuum roaring through the living room. Most of us end up pausing the cleaning run, which defeats the whole purpose of owning one. Matic thinks it has the answer with its new Serene robot vacuum, and the big selling point is how little noise it makes.
The Matic Serene runs at 52 decibels even when cleaning at full power. To put that in perspective, Matic compares it to the hum of your refrigerator. It is available now for $1,695, which is $200 more than the original Matic’s current price.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
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