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BendDesk Merges Computer, Monitor and Desk
cylonlover writes "Researchers from Aachen University's Media Computing Group have created a computer workstation called the BendDesk where the desk and screen are transformed into one multi-touch display. The display is curved at the middle and uses infrared emitters and cameras to track user movement over the whole of the surface, which has its graphical user interface beamed onto it by a couple of short throw projectors hidden within its wooden frame."
Great. Now I can be disorganize on two planes!
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They need to work on the carpentry of the desk before they sell very many. It looks like something an eighth grader might construct. It looks like a programming project (measure with a micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with a chain saw). It definately needs asthetic attention.
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Now add to that merger a chair, toilet, and sex robot and you'll have office equipment that will really sell.
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I hope they don't merge the chair right in, otherwise we'll have to say problem is intermelded with chair, keyboard, and desk!
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Am I the only one who expected it to have a shiny metal ass?
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Touchscreen rarely has the necessary responsiveness to enable you to type as you would on a keyboard.
Even writing this, I'm writing 10-15 characters a second, spread all over the keyboard, with only a tiny gap between each. My fingers know when to "bounce" up because they feel the button hit bottom. Touchscreen generally can't handle anywhere near that speed, accuracy, or tactile response (the biggest problem with even the most expensive touchscreens on public display - watch old grannies stab at the thing like it's a disobedient child because it just doesn't feel like the clicks are registering).
It won't work. Won't fly in schools (vertical surface = interference with eye contact and/or that they have to be placed only along the walls, mucky fingers, expensive hardware, etc.). Won't fly in business (two clunky and huge and expensive, RSI would be terrible working at something that physical for 8 hours a day). Won't fly in public kiosks (too pointless when a flat screen would do the same).
And to be honest, why does it have to be curved at all? It could just be two projected displays at right angles and nobody would care.
I never tried to type quickly on any touchscreen, but I am sure I can learn it.
It'll never be the same, though. You don't get the tactile feedback that you get from a real keyboard.
I'd be more worried about no mouse. What if my task is to drag and drop stuff on the vertical part for 2 hrs (assuming I cannot automate the process)? Then I end up with my arm stretched in front of me for 2 hrs. I think I'll be tired before that time.
Good point. The screen/desk/whatever it is is clearly made for dragging stuff. But how ergonomic is it to do that for a long time?
On the other hand, teachers seem to be quite able to draw on a vertical blackboard for a long time.
I think you can get similar or better results (using less money and time) with just wiimote and projector. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ starting from 2:15 to see what i mean.
...and they want their gorilla hand syndrome back. As the makers themselves admit, completely lacking any ergonomy ("users tended to separate the vertical and horizontal planes and avoid using the curve as much as possible."). Working with your hand(s) above heart level is tiresome, for reasons entirely physiological - there's plenty of research for that, but we geeks just tend to dismiss it as NIH and assume "we know better", don't we? It's a very cool toy project, yes - but utterly impractical.
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So let's say they solve the problem of it looking like some kid made it in shop class, you still have the really big problem of all the space needed behind the desk for the projecting. Granted the picture with the article might not be drawn to scale, but it looks like it would take about 1/2 the floor space in my cubicle and that I would also lose two of my wall shelves, definitely not a trade I would consider making...