We plan to order three touch table devices in early September for use in our multi-stakeholder planning scenarios.

UPDATE (4 August 2009) - We are leaning towards the putrchase of 3 DT107 units form CircleTwelve. Read below for specs.

UPDATE (23 July 2009) - We have not yet ordered any touch tables and are still researching and obtaining quotes. If you know of or favour a system, please contact us: charles@geomemes.com, or add a comment below! Thanks.

According to our research to date, the best matches (flexibility/usability/features/price) for our Lab are currently:

• the DiamondTouch DT107 by CircleTwelve, and
• the Microsoft Surface.

Multitouch / Touchtable Background

• Wikipedia, of course: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch
• Many people point to Jeff Han's Feb 2006 TED Talk as their introduction to the technology: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talk/jeff_han_demos_his_breakthrough_touchscreen.html
• Just for fun, here's another view of the future of map interfaces: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/blaise_aguera_y_arcas_demos_photosynt...

Systems On the Market

• Touch Table - http://www.touchtable.com/ "tt45" 1920x 1080 HD LCD tt45 ~$60,000 not including computer, no projector req as this is a LCD, SDK ~$16,000 - contact = Chris Phillips
• Diamond Touch - http://www.circletwelve.com/products.html
  - http://www.merl.com/projects/DiamondTouch/
  "Diamond Touch" table-top slab with USB connection 45" (~$13,000), 32" (~$10,000), not including computer, projector and stand/ceiling mount). The DT has an interesting multi-user functionality (4 capacitive anti-static pads for people to sit on which enables tracking/recording WHO touched/added WHAT in a session. CONTACT: Adam Bogue +1 617 875 0143
  • 
  • A DiamondTouch slab is a multi-user, debris tolerant, touch and gesture activated display screen that supports small group collaboration. GIS image analysis, CAD, graphic design layout, gaming, project management...
  • Circle Twelve Announces Software Plug-in for ESRI ArcGIS, Enabling Multi-touch, Multi-user Functionality on the DiamondTouch Table Read more... http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?articleid=582956
  • A nice Youtube video from CircleTwelve about the multi-user functionality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcgshSJOFag
• Gesture Tec - http://www.gesturetek.com/illuminate/productsolutions_illuminatetable.php - approx. $30K +1 800 315 1189 or +1 416 340 9290
  GestureTek’s award-winning Illuminate Multi-Touch Table is a user-friendly surface computing technology offered in nearly any shape or size to suit any requirement. The turnkey multi-touch screen display stands 36" high, with a 50" gesture-controlled screen, powerful multi-touch computer, projector, camera and speakers. Control is via a multi-point or multi-touch interface. GestureTek’s full library of GestureFX special effects applications can be included in the multi-touch display table.
  http://www.gesturetek.com/videos/illuminate/productvideos/multi_touch_ta...
  http://www.gesturetek.com/videos/illuminate/multitable.wmv
• Microsoft Surface - ~$13,000 for commercial unit; ~$15,000 for the developer unit.
  • News: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,39529036,00.htm
  • Microsoft Site: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/Pages/HowToBuy/HowToBuy.aspx
  • *Note: Microsoft Surface units are not available for consumer sale at this time. In order to purchase a unit, you must be able to provide a valid Tax ID number. You must also reside in a country where Microsoft Surface units are available for purchase. UPDATE 27JUL09: We checked and UVic is eligible
  • See bottom of page for MS Order Form (Canada)
  • 
  • Specs: 30-inch diagonal, bottom projected (in cabinet) XGA DLP projector; LED and camera tracking, 2.13 GHz computer, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB SATA hard disk, speakers, NO MULTI-USER out of the box - SDK may have tracking features in the future - see Data Sheet (below of http://www.microsoft.com/surface/Pages/Product/Specifications.aspx)
  • Watch a nice video about the Geospatial apps of Surface (Falcon Eye): http://www.microsoft.com/surface/Pages/Experience/Videos.aspx?video=9cc4...
  • Another Surface video (Youtube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxk_WywMTzc&feature=fvw The map example is at the very end - in a wine context. ...this one also shows an interesting "optical tag" feature that loads content on the display when the computer recognizes a tag. How would we use optical tags in marine planning?
  • Microsoft's SDK is firmly focused on the Microsoft experience, which means WPF...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Presentation_Foundation
• Ideum Designs - MT2 Table - designed for museums, 50" diagonal glass/aluminum,
  http://www.ideum.com/products/multitouch
  http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/05/ideum-mt2-multitouch-table-surfaces-l...
  - The 50" (diagonal) glass top is coated underneath with projection material for a bright display. The display size is 16:9 ratio at 1280 x 720 pixels. The bright 2100 ANSI projector has a 2000-to-1 contrast ratio and the image displays on the table with zero keystoning. The high-resolution DLP projector has 3,000 hour bulb life.

  Nice pics of the 50": http://hothardware.com/News/Ideums-100-MultiTouch-Table-Supports-50-User...

• Touchkit - http://touchkit.nortd.com/ $1780 (incl shipping to Canada) 27.5x19.7x0.5" (700x500x13mm) = 43" diagonal
  http://touchkit.nortd.com/order.html
  - would need to build cabinet, projector, computer
• (added 14 Jan 2010) Northrop Grumman - http://www.is.northropgrumman.com/products/touchtable/

  Pics... http://www.slashgear.com/touchtable-tt84-2610453/

  Northrop Grumman Mission Systems
  TouchTableTM Sales Office
  14330 Sullyfield Circle
  Chantilly, VA 20151
  703-633-2805
  touchtable@ngc.com
  www.touchtable.com (hmmmmm, looks like iteration)

  PDF attached below...

  TT84 TouchTable Immersive Collaboration System
  * 84” diagonal display
  * 1600 x 1200 native resolution
  * Dual external displays
  * Large-format display supports group collaboration
  * High-resolution display facilitates viewing complex imagery and data sets
  * Pressure sensitive surface allows multiple methods of information interaction

  TT45 TouchTable Convertible Immersive Collaboration System
  * 45” diagonal display
  * 1920 x 1080 pixel native resolution
  * Designed for mobile applications
  * Articulating stand supports horizontal, vertical and draft table modes
  * Supports multiple external displays

  TouchShare Software Framework
  * Navigation (zoom, pan, rotate, history recall)
  * Network-based collaboration
  * Network-based drawing tools
  * Annotation tools
  * Open architecture – allows integration of most PC-based software products
  * Runs on multiple platforms
  * Custom menus orient to all sides of the display

• (Added 14 Jan 2010) SMART Table - http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Table/
• Do It Yourself - there are many sites showing people's success making there own
  http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/maximum_pc_builds_a_multitouch...

Software

• The mt2 Table ships with NUI's innovative Snowflake Software. NUI Suite 1.3 Snowflake is a fast and reliable gesture recognition multi-touch software package. This software suite includes NUI Touch Core which can be used with any programming language that supports the TUIO protocol. Software developers can create their own applications with Flash (ActionScript3), C/C++/C#, Java, Python, and other programming languages.
• The NUI Snowflake package comes with a set of basic applications: Viewer (media viewer with support for image and video media types), Draw (basic drawing application), 3D model viewer (.3ds and .obj file format support) along with other applications. The mt2 Table package even includes NUI's TouchEarth (Google Earth with a multitouch interface).

Artiles

Design a Multi-Touch Table and Apply to Interior Furniture Allocation -
http://www.springerlink.com/content/4h97170251842644/

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We welcome your feedback as we refine these specifications. Please comment or send us an email - cburnett@uvic.c