This is WAY Cool: Surface Computing

I've known something like this was coming since the Star Trek The Next Generation show first came on back in the late 80's. You know how they have all of those "control surfaces" for interacting with the systems aboard The Enterprise?

Well, check this out:



Imagine an environment in which you can walk up to any table or wall and interact with it.

UPDATE: Imagine the implications of this technology for music! One of the problems with GUI/mouse interfaces between a musician and a computer is that they are rather user hostile. I use a trackball, which is much better than a mouse, but still, the interface is rather anti-musical. The best interface ever between a musician and a computer I've ever experienced was on my old Synclavier: There were 128 labeled buttons, and you would just select the one you wanted, and turn the master control knob if it was an adjustable parameter. This would be lightyears better than even that system. The surface could be configured to be whatever you wanted - including a musical keyboard (!) - and then you would have a truely musical and tactile connection with your computer.

I want one.

Far out.