10 Meters Wide Multi-User Giant Touchscreen

Just think, a few years back in 2007 we were impressed by the release of the iPhone and its touchscreen interface. Then, last year the iPad was released onto a bemused world and after the initial recoiling, people were wowed by its impressive 9.7 inch touchscreen. Admittedly, these are portable devices, but they pale into insignificance with the might of the mega multi-user touch screen above from the University of Groningen, Netherlands. It’s 10 meters long and can detect 100 simultaneous interactions.

You can see in the video that it responds super quick, and its 135 degree curvature creates an immersive setting. Their aim is to use this behemoth for research—allowing users to work in a designated area and collaborating when necessary—and education (but hopefully no PowerPoint presentations). It was created using off the shelf products and public domain software, so maybe you could set one up at home. Although it uses six cameras, 16 infrared illuminators, 6 projectors, and probably the entire floor space of your apartment. So maybe not. But just imagine the installation you could set up on this with a few dozen people interacting at once! Or even better, a giant game of Angry Birds.