5 ms·

AirBar: Brings touch to PCs – works with gloves/paintbrush

89 points by joshio 11y ago

Zikes 11y ago
What sort of resolution does it offer? How well does it handle multi-touch, especially when some touches are obstructed by others? Does it offer any pseudo-pressure sensitivity options?
- joshio 11y ago
  Based on a technology called zForce AIR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaoIWFcj6pc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaoIWFcj6pc
orliesaurus 11y ago
only 15.6 inch..ugh
nkozyra 11y ago
Is it just me, or does the top video stop when the bar is applied to the screen? That's burying the lede :)
- orliesaurus 11y ago
  it does
- adriancooney 11y ago
  I think it's intentional.
  - phaed 11y ago
    It leaves me wanting. I don't only want to see how its applied. More importantly, I want to see how it is used. It's responsiveness, touch gestures happening and what not. I get it, installation is easy, but that's not what I'm here for. Also the shadow of the person just freezes instead of leaving entirely from the frame, I believe this is the reason why it looks so unnatural and abrupt.
stephengoodwin 11y ago
Side comment: Excellent use of the .bar domain extension.
earlz 11y ago
I've had exactly this idea before, but never pursued it because I couldn't get past the problem of shadows. It looks like this doesn't either. ie, if you are making a vertical pinch gesture and you happen to get it precise enough, it's possible that the top finger will be left in the dark and thus undetectable. Maybe because depth can be sensed, software can compensate.. I still imagine this will be a problem though, as well as resolution Also, how well will this thing work in daylight and direct sun?
- Zikes 11y ago
  Most likely the detectors/emitters are in a diagonal crosshatch pattern, which would also greatly simplify detection and resolution on the axis perpendicular to the air bar: /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ --------------------
- fit2rule 11y ago
  As an app developer who has had to deal with these kinds of state issues for, now, over a decade (pre-iOS touch was also happening, kids), I can only say this: so what? Code for the case, and move on. WIMP is a baseline from the 70's that we need to move on, from. So, even if tis but a single-click, with de-bounce, 'tis a step up from the option. Shadows are an option; but if you know that you're going to be coding for Air.bar anyway, its just something you need to inform the GUI design team about, and move on. Me, personally: I love this. I think its exactly what we need. I've had a Leap Motion on my desktop with much whimsy; that I can now take a touch-upgrade with me on my MBPro means I might actually be able to attain my desired goal of having a consistent, common, grounded touch interface in all of my apps. On all supported platforms. I'm gonna get one.
  - lurkinggrue 11y ago
    > WIMP is a baseline from the 70's that we need to move on. Yeah! Screw accuracy and fine control.
Ecco 11y ago
I'm sure I'd forget about it them slam shut my laptop…
s73v3r 11y ago
Nifty idea, but I imagine it's going to get back to the same problem of putting a touchscreen on Windows to start with: Namely that most of the applications people want to run on Windows (Metro apps excluded) are not optimized for touch. The widgets one would want to use are too small to accurately be clicked on with a finger.
- Zikes 11y ago
  Sounds like a chicken and egg problem to me.
keithpeter 11y ago
Will keep an eye on this when it is an actual product. Might be fun to see what you can do with one of these when projecting the computer screen. Cheapo interactive whiteboard style.
fit2rule 11y ago
This really needs to work, and be successful, and be a thing. In the audio-apps world, touch-based interfaces are encroaching deeply on the WIMP manifesto, and we laptop users suffer from having accessory envy whenever the latest popstar brings their iPad into the booth. If there is a fast, convenient way to out-do the Magic Leap experience (and that's what this looks to be) then I think someone in AirBar Inc., needs to have an "Audio/Music-Industry Specialist" contact person doing the necessary work to get 100% buy-in from the synth/plugin guys. Because, this is a unique opportunity, actually.
ramanamit1234 11y ago
Very cool
Dirlewanger 11y ago
This is really sick, but it seems much more like a precursor technology that would eventually be subsumed into every laptop out there. Even then, is this really worth getting for the few times this would be drastically better over using a keyboard/mouse?
- Zikes 11y ago
  I would be interested in seeing how it compares to built-in touch screen technology. It seems like this product's focus is on retrofitting, whereas current laptop/screen manufacturers may get better performance or resolution or reduced overall costs using existing technologies.
pfisch 11y ago
It seems like most windows laptops have touch built in now though. I had to disable it on the laptop I'm using right now.
kaizen4u 11y ago
tomorrows touch screen technology is already here !
monk_e_boy 11y ago
Would work well in clean rooms and hospitals. It's hard to find tech that you can install somewhere sterile and keep it sterile. Keyboards - nope, mouse? Hm, they are ok. We wipe everything down with alcohol wipes, so this bar looks like the business. Especially if you can fit a glass case around it / over it. We could fit them into laminar air flow workstations. Cut some metal, fit some glass parts instant computer aided control. Neat. Ooooh, here is a photo of a screen inside one of the work stations: http://www.parallabs.com/products/ivf-workstations/ivf-workstations-200-series/ http://www.parallabs.com/products/ivf-workstations/ivf-works...
annadavid 11y ago
So cool!
tantalor 11y ago
Reminds me of the digital/interactive whiteboard technology from last decade. Example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZnJ-mNzLYI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZnJ-mNzLYI
CaptSpify 11y ago
I couldn't get the video to play, not sure why, but I think this is the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGffKBu9aNs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGffKBu9aNs Looks interesting, but I'd like to try it/read reviews before purchasing
DEinspanjer 11y ago
I'd be willing to pre-order, but not without some indication of when it was expected to ship, and not without Mac support as well. :/
lurkinggrue 11y ago
All those fingerprints on my monitor that will never wash off... Priceless.

89 points by joshio 11y ago

Zikes 11y ago

What sort of resolution does it offer? How well does it handle multi-touch, especially when some touches are obstructed by others? Does it offer any pseudo-pressure sensitivity options?

joshio 11y ago
Based on a technology called zForce AIR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaoIWFcj6pc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaoIWFcj6pc

orliesaurus 11y ago

only 15.6 inch..ugh

nkozyra 11y ago

Is it just me, or does the top video stop when the bar is applied to the screen? That's burying the lede :)

orliesaurus 11y ago
it does
adriancooney 11y ago
I think it's intentional.
- phaed 11y ago
  It leaves me wanting. I don't only want to see how its applied. More importantly, I want to see how it is used. It's responsiveness, touch gestures happening and what not. I get it, installation is easy, but that's not what I'm here for. Also the shadow of the person just freezes instead of leaving entirely from the frame, I believe this is the reason why it looks so unnatural and abrupt.

stephengoodwin 11y ago

Side comment: Excellent use of the .bar domain extension.

earlz 11y ago

I've had exactly this idea before, but never pursued it because I couldn't get past the problem of shadows. It looks like this doesn't either. ie, if you are making a vertical pinch gesture and you happen to get it precise enough, it's possible that the top finger will be left in the dark and thus undetectable. Maybe because depth can be sensed, software can compensate.. I still imagine this will be a problem though, as well as resolution Also, how well will this thing work in daylight and direct sun?

Zikes 11y ago
Most likely the detectors/emitters are in a diagonal crosshatch pattern, which would also greatly simplify detection and resolution on the axis perpendicular to the air bar: /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ --------------------
fit2rule 11y ago
As an app developer who has had to deal with these kinds of state issues for, now, over a decade (pre-iOS touch was also happening, kids), I can only say this: so what? Code for the case, and move on. WIMP is a baseline from the 70's that we need to move on, from. So, even if tis but a single-click, with de-bounce, 'tis a step up from the option. Shadows are an option; but if you know that you're going to be coding for Air.bar anyway, its just something you need to inform the GUI design team about, and move on. Me, personally: I love this. I think its exactly what we need. I've had a Leap Motion on my desktop with much whimsy; that I can now take a touch-upgrade with me on my MBPro means I might actually be able to attain my desired goal of having a consistent, common, grounded touch interface in all of my apps. On all supported platforms. I'm gonna get one.
- lurkinggrue 11y ago
  > WIMP is a baseline from the 70's that we need to move on. Yeah! Screw accuracy and fine control.

Ecco 11y ago

I'm sure I'd forget about it them slam shut my laptop…

s73v3r 11y ago

Nifty idea, but I imagine it's going to get back to the same problem of putting a touchscreen on Windows to start with: Namely that most of the applications people want to run on Windows (Metro apps excluded) are not optimized for touch. The widgets one would want to use are too small to accurately be clicked on with a finger.

Zikes 11y ago
Sounds like a chicken and egg problem to me.

keithpeter 11y ago

Will keep an eye on this when it is an actual product. Might be fun to see what you can do with one of these when projecting the computer screen. Cheapo interactive whiteboard style.

fit2rule 11y ago

This really needs to work, and be successful, and be a thing. In the audio-apps world, touch-based interfaces are encroaching deeply on the WIMP manifesto, and we laptop users suffer from having accessory envy whenever the latest popstar brings their iPad into the booth. If there is a fast, convenient way to out-do the Magic Leap experience (and that's what this looks to be) then I think someone in AirBar Inc., needs to have an "Audio/Music-Industry Specialist" contact person doing the necessary work to get 100% buy-in from the synth/plugin guys. Because, this is a unique opportunity, actually.

ramanamit1234 11y ago

Very cool

Dirlewanger 11y ago

This is really sick, but it seems much more like a precursor technology that would eventually be subsumed into every laptop out there. Even then, is this really worth getting for the few times this would be drastically better over using a keyboard/mouse?

Zikes 11y ago
I would be interested in seeing how it compares to built-in touch screen technology. It seems like this product's focus is on retrofitting, whereas current laptop/screen manufacturers may get better performance or resolution or reduced overall costs using existing technologies.

pfisch 11y ago

It seems like most windows laptops have touch built in now though. I had to disable it on the laptop I'm using right now.

kaizen4u 11y ago

tomorrows touch screen technology is already here !

monk_e_boy 11y ago

Would work well in clean rooms and hospitals. It's hard to find tech that you can install somewhere sterile and keep it sterile. Keyboards - nope, mouse? Hm, they are ok. We wipe everything down with alcohol wipes, so this bar looks like the business. Especially if you can fit a glass case around it / over it. We could fit them into laminar air flow workstations. Cut some metal, fit some glass parts instant computer aided control. Neat. Ooooh, here is a photo of a screen inside one of the work stations: http://www.parallabs.com/products/ivf-workstations/ivf-workstations-200-series/ http://www.parallabs.com/products/ivf-workstations/ivf-works...

annadavid 11y ago

So cool!

tantalor 11y ago

Reminds me of the digital/interactive whiteboard technology from last decade. Example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZnJ-mNzLYI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZnJ-mNzLYI

CaptSpify 11y ago

I couldn't get the video to play, not sure why, but I think this is the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGffKBu9aNs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGffKBu9aNs Looks interesting, but I'd like to try it/read reviews before purchasing

DEinspanjer 11y ago

I'd be willing to pre-order, but not without some indication of when it was expected to ship, and not without Mac support as well. :/

lurkinggrue 11y ago

All those fingerprints on my monitor that will never wash off... Priceless.