Microsoft Surface
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Codename:
Milan), is a forthcoming
Multi-touch product from
Microsoft which is developed as a software and hardware combination technology that allows a user, or multiple users, to manipulate digital content by the use of natural motions,
hand gestures, or physical objects. It was announced on
May 29,
2007 at
D5 conference, and is expected to be released by commercial partners in spring 2008.
[1] Initial customers will be in the hospitality businesses, such as restaurants, hotels, retail, public entertainment venues and the military for tactical overviews.
Contents
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Overview
Surface is essentially a Windows Vista PC tucked inside a table, topped with a 30-inch reflective surface in a clear acrylic frame. A projector underneath the surface projects an image onto its underside, while five cameras in the machine's housing record reflections of infrared light from human fingertips. The camera can also recognize objects placed on the surface if those objects have specially-designed "tags" applied to them. Users can interact with the machine by touching or dragging their fingertips and objects such as paintbrushes across the screen, or by placing and moving tagged objects.
Surface has been optimized to respond to 52 touches at a time. During a demonstration with a reporter, Mark Bolger, the Surface Computing group's marketing director, "dipped" his finger in an on-screen paint palette, then dragged it across the screen to draw a smiley face. Then he used all 10 fingers at once to give the face a full head of hair.
In addition to recognizing finger movements, Microsoft Surface can also identify physical objects. Microsoft says that when a diner sets down a wine glass, for example, the table can automatically offer additional
wine choices tailored to the dinner being eaten.
Prices will reportedly be $5,000 to $10,000 per unit.
[2] However Microsoft said it expects prices to drop enough to make consumer versions feasible in 3 to 5 years.
[3]
Partner companies plan to use the Surface in their hotels, restaurants, and retail stores. The Surface is to be used to choose meals at restaurants, plan vacations and spots to visit from the hotel room. Starwood Hotels plan to allow users to drop a credit card on the table to pay for music, books, and other amenities offered at the resort. In T-Mobile stores, the plans for the Surface include dropping two different phones on the table and having the customer be able to view and compare prices, features, and plans.
[4]
The machines, which Microsoft debuted
May 30,
2007 at a technology conference in Carlsbad, California, were set to arrive in November 2007 in
T-Mobile USA stores and properties owned by
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and
Harrah's Entertainment Inc. But with delays in developing custom applications for each of the partners, it will take until spring 2008 before the machines start showing up at these locations.
[5]
[edit] History
The technology behind Surface is called
Multi-touch. It has at least a 25-year history,
[6] beginning in 1982, with pioneering work being done at the
University of Toronto (multi-touch tablets) and
Bell Labs (multi-touch screens). The product idea for Surface was initially conceptualized in 2001 by
Steven Bathiche of
Microsoft Hardware and
Andy Wilson of
Microsoft Research.
[7] In October 2001, a virtual team was formed with Bathiche and Wilson as key members, to bring the idea to the next stage of development.
In 2003, the team presented the idea to the Microsoft Chairman
Bill Gates, in a group review. Later, the virtual team was expanded and a prototype nicknamed T1 was produced within a month. The prototype was based on an
IKEA table with a hole cut in the top and a sheet of architect vellum used as a diffuser. The team also developed some applications, including
pinball, a photo browser and a video puzzle. Over the next year, Microsoft built more than 85 early prototypes for Surface. The final hardware design was completed in 2005.
A similar concept was used in the 2002 science fiction movie
Minority Report and in the 2005 science fiction movie
The Island, by Sean Bean's character "Merrick". As noted in the DVD commentary, the director Michael Bay stated the concept of the device came from consultation with Microsoft during the making of the movie. One of the film's technology consultant's associates from
MIT later joined Microsoft to work on the Surface project.
[8]
Surface was unveiled by Microsoft CEO
Steve Ballmer on
May 30,
2007 at
The Wall Street Journal's 'D: All Things Digital' conference in
Carlsbad, California.
[9] Surface Computing is part of Microsoft's Productivity and Extended Consumer Experiences Group, which is within the Entertainment & Devices division. The first few companies to deploy Surface will include
Harrah's Entertainment,
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide,
T-Mobile and a distributor,
International Game Technology.
[10]
[edit] Features
Surface computer.
Microsoft notes four main components being important in
Surface's interface: direct interaction, multi-touch contact, a multi-user experience, and object recognition.
Direct interaction refers to the user's ability to simply reach out and touch the interface of an application in order to interact with it, without the need for a mouse or keyboard. Multi-touch contact refers to the ability to have multiple contact points with an interface, unlike with a mouse, where there is only one cursor. Multi-user is a benefit of multi-touch -- several people can orient themselves on different sides of the surface to interact with an application simultaneously. Object recognition refers to the device's ability to recognize the presence and orientation of tagged objects placed on top of it.
The technology allows non-digital objects to be used as input devices. In one example, a normal paint brush was used to create a digital painting in the software.
[11] This is made possible by the fact that, in using cameras for input, the system does not rely on restrictive properties required of conventional touchscreen or touchpad devices such as the capacitance, electrical resistance, or temperature of the tool used (see
Touchscreen).
The computer's "vision" is created by a near-infrared, 850-nanometer-wavelength
LED light source aimed at the surface. When an object touches the tabletop, the light is reflected to multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1280 x 960, allowing it to sense, and react to items touching the tabletop.
Surface will ship with basic applications, including photos, music, virtual concierge, and games, that can be customized for the customers.
[12]
[edit] Specifications
Surface is a 30-inch (76 cm) display in a table-like form factor, 22 inches (56 cm) high, 21 inches (53 cm) deep, and 42 inches (107 cm) wide.
[12]. The Surface tabletop is
acrylic, and its interior frame is powder-coated
steel. The software platform runs on
Windows Vista and has wired
Ethernet 10/100,
wireless 802.11 b/g, and
Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity.
[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
References
- ^ Bumps on the road to Microsoft's Surface. C-Net. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
- ^ Microsoft Brings Computing to Tabletops
- ^ Microsoft's new PC surfaces | Australian IT
- ^ [1]
- ^ Bumps on the road to Microsoft's Surface. C-Net. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
- ^ Multi-Touch Systems that I Have Known and Loved
- ^ Microsoft Surface Fact History. Microsoft. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ Correction: “The Island” did NOT feature a Surface - istartedsomething
- ^ Microsoft (2007-05-29). "Look What's Surfacing at Microsoft". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ Microsoft (2007-05-29). "Microsoft Launches New Product Category: Surface Computing Comes to Life in Restaurants, Hotels, Retail Locations and Casino Resorts". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ Microsoft Surface brings computing to the table. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
- ^ a b c Microsoft Surface Fact Sheet. Microsoft. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
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اینم کلی لینک و مطبی و مقاله و عنوان و سرچ
توجه داشته باشین که طبق قانون فروم تمام لینکها تا ده روز دیگه غیر فعال خواهد شد می شوند پس سریعا نهایت استفاده را ببرید.
متشکرم.