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Countertop Video Projector?

Posted by Cliff on from the who-needs-monitors dept.

bcorrigan78 asks: "After reading the recent Slashdot post regarding Microsoft's perfect home, I got to wondering if there was a way to build or buy a counter-top projector like the one pictured in the article here. It looks like it might be some kind of laser scanning low-res projector? Anyone seen anything like this?"

5 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. maybe from the bottom up by Naikrovek · · Score: 2, Interesting

    i think it would be better if it shined from the bottom up - as a previous poster insinuated, looking up into a laser (or other bright light) could be not only painful but dangerous.

    Mounting something inside a counter shining up onto a peice of darkly smoked or ground (underside only) glass would be sexier too, I'd say. And probably easier to work on and easier to set up.

    But to answer your question, no, i don't know of anything that could do this.

    1. Re:maybe from the bottom up by Lars+T. · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yeah, you are right, placing something like a bright lamp over a table is obviously a bad idea.

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

  2. Build your own projector. by More+Karma+Than+God · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Here's some links to previous Slashdot articles.

    Homebrew Projectors

    Light Sources

    Enjoy!

    --
    Go here to create your own Slashdot dis
  3. It can be done very cheaply. by gmiller123456 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You can use an old overhead projector with one of the LCD designed for use on a projector. Get a TV tuner for the computer and you've also got a large screen projection TV. I've also heard of people using a Fresnel lense to project the image of a monitor or TV, but you'll probably end up with a very dim image.

  4. Prototype system from about 1990 by adam+arndt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can any of you recall a prototype system which I have a hazy memory of seeing in a doco about user interface design around 1990-1992?

    It featured a pretty amazing system I have never heard or seen anything of since. It went like this:

    Computer and ceiling-mounted vid shoots on to white table top with standard windowing desktop image.

    User moves arm and hands to "click" (touch) and "drag" (move finger) the icons. An image processing system via a camera (also in roof) does the differencing between the projected image and the captured image of the desk to get arm, finger movements.

    They dude also "pulled up" a "virtual keyboard" and typed away. This was the image of a keyboard.

    It got pretty out of hand when he put a real book on the desktop, then used two fingers to "select" a paragraph of text (system shaded a rectangle over the real book page!) and then he "dragged" this off into a virtual document!

    It was a mock-up, but they asserted that the controlled arrangement of being able to difference the images would allow this kind of OCR and other interface stuff with current technology (early 90's).

    It's pretty hysterical to watch.

    Anyone heard of this?