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INTRODUCTION

Microsoft Surface is a forthcoming Multi-touch product from Microsoft which is developed as

software and hardware combination technology.

Minority Report meets the kitchen table in the new Surface from Microsoft. Claiming that

surface computing is "as significant as the move from DOS to GUI," the company today

announced a tabletop device with an integrated 30-inch screen and five cameras to enable multi-

touch access to music, photos, the web, and more. According to Microsoft, Surface isn't simply a

regular PC with a touch interface.

It is a whole new category of computing device that will supplement rather than replace

traditional machines. Surface is essentially a Windows Vista PC tucked inside a table, topped

with a 30-inch reflective surface in a clear acrylic frame.

Surface features a touch interface, but it doesn't use a touch screen. Instead, five separate

cameras are used to record motion on the table's surface.On speaking with Nigel Keam, a

member of the Surface team, about the technology in the device, and he explained that five

cameras were needed because of field angle issues. In order to get the table as low as it is, five

Cameras are used so that each one can have a small field of view. That translates into better

resolution and speed (measured in pixels/second) than a single camera with an exceptionally

wide-angle view of the table surface.

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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

A unique feature that comes preinstalled with Surface is the pond effect "Attract" application.

Simply, it is a "picture" of water with leaves and rocks within it (a lot like a screen saver used in

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Windows XP or Vista). By touching the screen, users can create ripples in the water, much like a

real stream

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.

Microsoft Surface is a 30-inch display in a table-like form factor that’s easy for individuals or

small groups to interact with in a way that feels familiar, just like in the real world. Microsoft

Surface can simultaneously recognize dozens and dozens of movements such as touch and

gestures and can recognize unique objects that have identification tags (similar to bar codes).

Surface computing breaks down traditional barriers between people and technology, changing

the way people interact with all kinds of everyday content, from photos to maps to menus. The

intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to

interact with content and information by using their hands and natural movements. Users are able

to access information either on their own or collaboratively with their friends and families,

unlike any experience available today. Surface computing features four key attributes:

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HISTORY OF MICROSOFT SURFACE

The technology behind Surface is called Multi-touch. It has at least a 25-year history, 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. 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.

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.

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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 FEATURES.

SOME IMPORATANT CONCEPTS AND TERMS :

(1.) Multi- touch technique :

Multi-touch is a method of input on a touchscreen that allows two or more fingers to

be used on the screen at one time.Multi-touch is something typically associated with

capacitive touchscreen displays rather than with more common resistive touchscreen

displays.

On touchscreen displays, multi-touch refers to the ability to simultaneously register

three or more distinct positions of input touches. It is often used to describe other,

more limited implementations, like Gesture-Enhanced Single-Touch, Dual-Touch or

real Multi-Touch

(2.) Capacitive touchscreen:

Capacitive touchscreen displays rely on the electrical properties of the human body to

detect when and where on a display the user touching. Because of this, capacitive

displays can be controlled with very light touches of a finger and generally cannot be

used with a mechanical stylus or a gloved hand. Examples of devices with capacitive

touchscreens are the Apple iPhone and the T-Mobile G1

(3.) Resistive touchscreen:

Resistive touchscreen displays are composed of multiple layers that are separated by

thin spaces. Pressure applied to the surface of the display by a finger or stylus causes

the layers to touch, which completes electrical circuits and tells the device where the

user is touching. As such, resistive type touchscreens require much more pressure to

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activate than capacitive touchscreens. Examples of devices with resistive

touchscreens are the HTC Touch Diamond and the Samsung SGH-i900 Omnia

(4.) TAG :

The Microsoft Surface Vision System captures and processes raw images of a

Microsoft Surface screen and can "see" the actual outlines of physical objects that are

placed on the screen by using cameras that operate in the near infrared light

(specifically, 850 nm). The Microsoft Surface Vision System also recognizes special

tagged objects that are marked with a special pattern of dots called tags. A tag

consists of a geometric arrangement of infrared reflective and absorbing areas.

Tagged objects give your application several advantages over processing raw images:

Tagged objects are more computation-efficient. The tags are small and well-defined,

so specialized code in the Vision System can locate and track them quickly,

accurately, and efficiently.

The Microsoft Surface platform inherently recognizes tags, so it is easy to write an

application that uses tags. Each tag stores a distinct binary code value, so an

application can distinguish one object from another.

DOTTED PATTERN FOR IMAGE RECOGNITION

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Single-Touch Technique

Mobile phones may use two types of input devices.

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In regular mobile phones, a keypad type of device is used, which is mounted separately

from the screen of the cellphone.

Whereas in touchscreen cellphones, a touch screen is a cellphone display screen that

also acts as an input device.

The touchscreens are sensitive to pressure; a user interacts with the mobile applications by

touching pictures or words on the screen. Most mobile phone keyboards are basic in that

they use a tactile surface you are accustomed to touching, and underneath is a basic rubber

peg (black dot) which travels some depth until it encounters resistance in the form of the

actual keyboard surface which is sometimes called a ‘bubble board.’ This is basically a

semi-circle of aluminium shaped in the form of a dome and provides that springing

effect of key and feedback on your finger when you press down and the button regains its

at-rest shape and normal position. Touchscreen technologies used in mobile phones include

resistive, capacitive and surface-wave based system.

(1.)RESISTIVE:-

The resistive system consists of a normal glass panel that is covered with conductive and

resistive metallic layers. These two layers are held apart by spacers, and a scratch resistant

layer is placed on top of the whole setup. An electrical current runs through the two layers

while the monitor is operational. When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact

exactly at that spot. The change in the electrical feld is noted and the coordinates of the

point of contact are calculated by the processor. Once the coordinates are known, a special

driver translates the touch into something that the operating system can understand, much as a

computer mouse driver translates the movements of a mouse into a click or a drag. The change

in the electrical current is registered as a touch event and sent to the controller for

processing.Resistive touchscreen panels are generally more affordable but offer only 75 per

cent clarity and the layer can be damaged by sharp objects. Resistive touchscreen panels are

not affected by outside elements such as dust or water.

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(2.) CAPACITIVE:-

In the capacitive system, a layer of an electroconductive material (most often indium tin-

oxide) that stores electrical charge is placed on the glass panel of the monitor. When a user

touches the monitor with his finger, some of the charge is transferred to the user, so the charge

on the capacitive layer decreases. This decrease is measured in circuits located at each

corner of the monitor. The computer calculates, from the relative differences in charge at each

corner, exactly where the touch event took place and then relays that information to the

touch-screen driver software. One advantage of the capacitive system over the resistive

system is that it transmits almost 92 per cent of the light emitted from the monitor, whereas

the resistive system transmits only about 75 per cent. This gives the capacitive system a much

clearer picture than the resistive system. Also, the capacitive system has a very long life

(about 225 million clicks). The bad news is that this touchscreen type cannot be activated by

contact with inanimate objects (e.g., the gloves that you might be wearing). There are mainly

two subtypes: one cannot register more than one touch at a time, while the other, called

‘MultiTouch’ (used in Apple iPhone and iPod) does.

(3.) SURFACE WAVE:-

Surface-wave technology uses ultrasonic waves that pass over the touchscreen panel. On the

monitor of a surface acoustic wave system, two transducers (one sending and the other receiving)

are placed along the ‘x’ and ‘y’ axes of the monitor’s glass plate. Also placed on the glass

are refectors- these refect an electrical signal sent from one transducer to the other. The

receiving transducer is able to tell whether the wave has been disturbed by a touch event at any

instant, and can locate it accordingly. When the panel is touched, a portion of the wave is

absorbed. This change in the ultrasonic waves registers the position of the touch event and sends

this information to the controller for processing. The wave setup has no metallic layers on the

screen, allowing for 100 per cent light throughput and perfect image clarity. This makes the

surface acoustic wave system best for displaying detailed graphics (both the other systems

have signifcant degradation in clarity). Surface-wave touchscreen panels are the most

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advanced of the three types, but these can be damaged by outside elements. Another area in

which the systems differ is the way stimuli is registered as a touch event. A resistive

system registers a touch as long as the two layers make contact, which means that it doesn’t

matter if you touch it with your fnger or a rubber ball. A capacitive system, on the other

hand, must have a conductive input, usually your fnger, in order to register a touch. The surface

acoustic wave system works much like the resistive system, allowing a touch with almost any

object, except hard and small objects like a pen tip.

MULTI –TOUCH TECHNIQUE

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SURFACE COMPUTER

Microsoft notes four main components being important in Surface's interface:-

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direct interaction,

multi-touch contact,

a multi-user experience, and

object recognition.

(1.) DIRECT INTERACTION:

It 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 or in other words it

Gives an advantage to the user to have simple touch application instead of using a

mouse or to in interact with

(2.) MULTI- TOUCH CONTACT :

It 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.

52 touches can be made at one time. It has multiple contact points with an interface,

however in mouse there will be only one option of having a single cursor.

(3.) MULTIPLE USER EXPERIENCE:

It allows multiple users to interact with the system from different points and

simultaneously use a single application

(4.) OBJECT RECOGNITION:

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It refers to the device's ability to recognize the presence and orientation of tagged objects

placed on top of it. It allows non-digital objects to be used with the touch interface. The

computer vision is created with a LED light source of 850 nm length.

MICROSOFT SURFACE

Microsoft Surface 1.0

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.

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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. However Microsoft said it expects prices to

drop enough to make consumer versions feasible in 3 to 5 years.

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 is able to

view and compare prices, features, and plans.

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

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in developing custom applications for each of the partners, it will take until spring 2008 before

the machines start showing up at these locations.

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.

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.

How the Microsoft Surface works?

1) Screen –

There is a diffuser which turns the Surface’s acrylic tabletop into a large horizontal “multitouch”

screen, which is capable of processing multiple inputs from multiple users. The Surface is so far

advanced than we could imagine that it can recognize objects by their shapes or by reading coded

“domino” tags when placed on the table.

2) Infrared –

Surface’s “machine vision” operates in the near-infrared spectrum, using an 850-nanometer-

wavelength LED light source aimed at the screen. When objects touch the tabletop, the light

reflects back and is picked up by multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1280 x 960.

3) CPU –

Surface uses many of the same components found in everyday desktop computers a Core 2 Duo

processor, 2GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card. Wireless communication with devices on

the surface is handled using WiFi and Bluetooth antennas (future versions may incorporate RFID

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or Near Field Communications). The underlying operating system is a modified version of

Microsoft Vista.

4) Projector –

Microsoft’s Surface uses the same DLP light engine found in many rear-projection HDTV’s. The

footprint of the visible light screen, at 1024 x 768 pixels, is actually smaller than the invisible

overlapping infrared projection to allow for better recognition at the edges of the screen.

Physical Features of a Microsoft Surface Unit

A Microsoft Surface unit is a table-like form that is easy for users to interact with from any side.

This topic describes the physical features of a Microsoft Surface unit. Microsoft Surface units

with the black acrylic panels have the following dimensions.

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Microsoft's technology

(1.) Depends on cameras and projectors for its magic. This isn't a touch-screen technology, but

an optical one. That has some huge advantages, like the ability to use brushes to paint, but also

has some disadvantages, like the need for dim lighting to avoid washing out the screen and the

need to put bar codes on objects for the system to recognize them.

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(2.) Focuses on large interactions instead of small. Despite claims Microsoft has been shopping

this technology to Windows Mobile phone makers, this technology is clearly designed to work

primarily in large kiosk-like settings than mobile phones. You need large empty spaces for

optical projectors and cameras -- that's why you can't hang projection TVs on your wall like you

can a plasma or LCD display. There's no room in a mobile phone for the optics needed to

implement this type of surface system there -- and using a multi-touch enabled touch-screen

would undoubtedly run afoul of Apple's patents on that technology.

(3.) Doesn't fit in the PC ecosystem. Even if consumers were OK with the many-cubic-foot bulk

of these surface systems, Microsoft says in its press release that it will distribute this technology

largely through a distribution and development agreement with International Game Technology.

That means you're much more likely to see this technology in your next video poker machine at

the Venetian casino than you are in the PC you get from Best Buy.

So surface computing isn't the iPhone or a PC technology. Does that matter? After all, Apple

isn't doing anything with multi-touch for computers, is it?

Well wait a few weeks and you may be surprised at how much Apple is doing with multi-touch.

We've already seen small applications of multi-touch on Apple MacBooks and MacBook Pros,

where two-finger scrolling has become the norm. But as we've noted before, multi-touch gestures

combined with a new 3D finder have the potential to revolutionize the PC user interface -- and

we believe that that interface will be part of Apple's next OS Leopard. And given that Apple has

recently cut its display prices to reduce inventory and has several multi-touch gesture and flat

touchscreen patents already filed, we may see touchscreen-supporting flat-panel displays and

notebooks introduced along with Leopard too.

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APPLICATION :-

There are a wide range of applications available for Microsoft Surface 1.0. It includes

MICROSOFT SURFACE MUSIC:

It allows you to add your music files and albums from your CDs or from any other digital media

and it can be browsed and played.

MICROSOFT SURFACE PHOTO :-

Portable devices can be interfaced with Microsoft Surface to share photos and videos.it enable

the users to browse and control the images by interacting with the surface.

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MICROSOFT SURFACE CONCIERGE :-

It is like a map capsule. Company can indicate their locations and attractive view of their

establishments.

MICROSOFT SURFACE WATER :-

It is like a screensaver application and it attract viewers to touch the surface and will respond to

it by showing ripple effects and it resembles the effect of natural water and the pond effect.

STIMULANT TOUCH TONES :-

It allows four people to create a music on the interactive surface of Microsoft Surface. Both

sound and visuals can be integrated to compose the music of any type.

MICROSOFT SURFACE GAMEPACKS :-

Several games can be played with our hand including chess and a new ribbon game.

Journalists can find still images and broadcast-quality broll and video (registration

required) of Microsoft Surface.

With Surface, we are creating more intuitive ways for people to interact with technology,

Ballmer said. We see this as a multibillion dollar category, and we envision a time when

surface computing technologies will be pervasive, from tabletops and counters to the

hallway mirror. Surface is the first step in realizing that vision. Microsoft Surface

Applications T-Mobile USA. Customers in T-Mobile retail stores might place different

cell phones on Surfaceâ„¢s interactive surface where product features, prices and phone

plans would appear so they could be easily compared. We are continuously working to

build the greatest retail experience we can for our customers, said Bonita Inza, vice

president of Retail at T-Mobile USA. They tell us they want more information about our

products and services, but in a way that is easily accessible, at their own pace and with

the amount of detail that they prefer. Surface is one example of how weâ„¢re turning our

stores into a playground where customers can comfortably explore exciting new products

in their own personal way.

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Surface will also be made available through a distribution and development agreement

with IGT (International Game Technology NYSE: IGT), a global company specializing

in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized

gaming machines and systems products.

There are hundreds of thousands of restaurants, hotels and retail locations that are

looking to give their customers the unique and memorable experiences that Surface will

provide. In turn, companies have a new opportunity for generating additional revenue

streams and increasing retail traffic.

Microsoft Surface 2.0

The Microsoft Surface platform brings people together to connect, learn, and decide. It enables experiences that change the way people collaborate and connect with a 360-degree interface. And, with PixelSense™, Microsoft Surface sees and responds to touch and real world objects—supporting more than 50 simultaneous inputs. This experience comes to life in the new 40 inch Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface that can be used as a table, on the wall, or embedded in other fixtures or furniture.

The Possibilities

How can you use the Surface platform in your organization? The only limit is your imagination. Whether you're in hospitality, retail, healthcare, professional services, or the public sector, you can change the way people interact with information and with each other.

Make content more engaging. Give your customers immersive and collaborative ways to engage with photos, videos, documents, maps, custom applications, and more.

Plan and simulate- Bring to life real-time "if/then" modeling and visualization, simulations and calculations—perfect for financial services, healthcare, and other consultative environments.

Make learning more fun- Breathe new life into the education process with rich visualizations that encourage teamwork and enhance learning.

Transform the shopping experience- Make shopping more immersive by connecting customers with more options, recommendations, product and service comparisons, and personalized service.

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Connect with customers through games and pastimes- Have some fun by putting Surface in restaurants, bars, hotel lobbies, and other venues, associating memorable experiences with your brand.

Communicate and connect- Give people an efficient and intriguing new way to get the information they're looking for—like maps and tourist destinations in a hotel lobby. Or use it to help them exchange personal information so they can connect with each other and to your business.

How the Surface has changed?

From a slimmer form factor to new administrator tools, Surface features some exciting changes:

Slim device- The new hardware is 4 inches thin.

A richer visual experience- With the rich color saturation from a full HD display and a larger screen, Surface offers a compelling, immersive visual experience that draws people in.

A vision-based touch experience- With PixelSense™, Microsoft Surface sees and responds to touch and real world objects.

Touch-enabled from start to finish- With Windows 7 and Surface, there is no need for a keyboard and mouse for setup and configuration.

New Quick Controls- Venue staff can adjust basic settings like volume, brightness, and input source.

More customization options- An improved configuration utility means you can quickly make changes to background images, configure applications, and modify settings without getting into code.

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Easier remote administration- Windows PowerShell scripts are easy to use and create, so Surface can be deployed in an enterprise setting.

Streamlined development for touch- The Microsoft Surface platform makes development easier with applications for Windows 7 that run on Windows Touch devices and with enhanced capabilities on the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface.

Surface platform

The Surface software platform is ideal for any scenario in which users need to interact together on a single device. The focus of Surface is on creating real connections—whether it’s connecting customers with information and each other, or connecting the device to other devices. Surface supports Windows 7 Professional (32-bit and 64-bit), so you can use a Windows 7 touch computer for basic testing or the creation of touch applications. And with more administration tools in the new Surface platform, deploying and managing Surface in an organization is easier than ever. The new Surface platform software and SDK (software development kit) build upon:

Embedded Windows 7 Professional 64-bit .NET Framework 4.0 Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) 4.0 Microsoft XNA® Framework 4.0 Windows PowerShell and DMTF DASH support, and enhanced administrator tools.

Applications

There are a wide range of applications available for Microsoft Surface 2.0. It includes

AFTER-MOUSE : Featured at Atlantis hotels, Photos enables guests to view their photos, modify them on the Microsoft Surface unit, send them to friends by email or download them directly to their Facebook accounts.

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Aspect Software Inc.: The Voyages of Columbus This multitouch, multiuser application is composed of four different applications, including a factual exploration game, fun facts and images of the historical figures Columbus encountered, constellation tracing, and journal entries from the ship captain. Users can write messages from the captain’s desk and email them to friends.

Customer Solutions Group LLC: Digital Folio Consumers can find the best product at the best price by organizing their shopping experiences. Not only can retailers motivate and influence buying decisions, they can make information accessible at home, on a mobile phone, or in the store.

IntuiLab: IntuiFace Presentation Create high impact, rich media multitouch presentations for Windows touchscreen devices - from tablets and kiosks to the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface. Use your own images, videos, documents, Flash movies, etc. without any programming required.

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LieberLieber Software: GmbH POI Explorer This interactive Bing map allows users to find and present points of interest in an intuitive and visually attractive way. The application integrates multitouch, object recognition, QR Code, and Microsoft Tag features.

Touchtech AB: Tourist Guide This automated recommendation system for open-minded tourists offers a unique city experience by suggesting activities, sites they can visit, and restaurants based on their personal preferences and situations. Featuring a 360-degree user interface, object recognition, and horizontal and vertical positioning, the Touchtech Tourist Guide has been installed by Göteborg& Co.

T-Systems Multimedia Solutions: Red Bull Interactive Consumers will be able to interact with Red Bull products and multimedia content at the same time. With object recognition, guests place their cans of Red Bull on Surface, which will trigger Red Bull event videos and current news to be presented on screen.

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The Power of pixel sense

PixelSense allows a display to recognize fingers, hands, and objects placed on the screen, enabling vision-based interaction without the use of cameras. The individual pixels in the display see what's touching the screen and that information is immediately processed and interpreted.

Think of it like the connection between the eye and the brain. You need both, working together, to see. In this case, the eye is the sensor in the panel, it picks up the image and it feeds that to the brain which is our vision input processor that recognizes the image and does something with it. Taken in whole…this is PixelSense technology.

How Does PixelSense Work?

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A step-by-step look at how Pixel Sense works:

A contact (finger/blob/tag/object) is placed on the display IR back light unit provides light (though the optical sheets, LCD and protection glass)

that hits the contact. Light reflected back from the contact is seen by the integrated sensors Sensors convert the light signal into an electrical signal/value Values reported from all of the sensors are used to create a picture of what is on the

display The picture is analyzed using image processing techniques The output is sent to the PC. It includes the corrected sensor image and various contact

types (fingers/blobs/tags)

SDK

A software development kit (SDK or "devkit") is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.

Gorilla glass

Gorilla Glass, manufactured by Corning, is an alkali-aluminosilicate sheet glass engineered specifically to be thin, light and damage-resistant. Its primary application is portable electronic devices with screens, such as mobile phones, portable media players, and laptop displays.

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ADVANTAGES:

(1.) Multi-user, not just multi-touch. You can see the direction that hands are coming from,

even when they aren't touching the table. This lets clever software identify people, so

that you could have UI pop up to face that person. Different people can do different

things with multiple focal points and varying UI orientations.

(2.) Multi-Touch Object Recognization Multi-User Direct Interaction Designing made easier

Time saving by eliminating many processes New and improved learning experience.

(3.) Cons camera calibration gives high precision security and privacy.

(4.) Identification of non-capacitive objects. For example, imagine a car customization app.

The idea being that you'd sit with a salesperson and work through options together. Place

a key on the table and a 3D model of the car that matched that key would drive onto the

scene and then park next to the key. Hopefully someone can figure out a form factor and

price point that can capitalize on these advantages.

(5.) Direct Interaction: Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands and

interact with content by touch and gestures, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.

(6.) Multi-Touch Contact: Surface computing recognizes many points of contact

simultaneously, not just from one finger, as with a typical touch screen computer, but up

to dozens and dozens of items at once.

(7.) Mulit-User Experience: the horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to

gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face

computing experience

(8.) Object-Recognition: Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different

types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.

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DISADVANTAGES:

(1.)The components used to build a Microsoft surface are very costly.

(2.)The components are very sensitive.

(3.)A Microsoft surface require s a lot of maintenance.

(4.)A Microsoft surface need dim light to avoid the washin out of the screen. It need to put

bar codes on the objects for the system to recognize them.

(5.) It needs large spaces for optical projectors and cameras.

FUTURE SCOPE OF MICROSOFT SURFACE

Microsoft Surface is the first commercially available surface computing platform from Microsoft

Corporation. It turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive surface. The product provides

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effortless interaction with digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects. In

essence, it’s a surface that comes to life for exploring, learning, sharing, creating, buying and

much more. In restaurants, hotels, retail and public entertainment venues, this experience will

transform the way people shop, dine, entertain and live.

Microsoft also provides a portfolio of basic Microsoft Surface applications, including Concierge,

Photos, and Music. You can customize these applications to provide customers with unique

experiences.

With Microsoft Surface, you can develop applications that

Respond to touch and gestures.

Respond to multiple touches so that several people can work and play at the same time.

Respond to object blobs. For example, users can use a paintbrush in a drawing

application.

Recognize objects and initiate an action based on tags (tagged objects). For example,

users can use a domino-like tag (with small white circles on a black background) on an

object start an action, draw a shape, and so on.

Have 360-degree user interfaces. For example, four people can sit around the Microsoft

Surface unit and have the content appear correctly for everybody.

The Microsoft Surface PC which would be a real revolution in the computers industry

because you would be able to not only run some commands but activate different

functions plysically like making bills payments using your physical hands instead of

using keyboard & mouse for inputing your requests.

Microsoft's tabletop computer could appear in homes in three years or less,

the executive in charge of its development said this in the year 2011.

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CONCLUSION

Microsoft Surface is a surface computing product from Microsoft. It’s able to recognize physical

objects from a paintbrush to a cell phone and allows hands-on, direct control of content such as

photos, music and maps. Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a dynamic surface that provides

interaction with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects.

The product is aimed at hotels, retail establishments, restaurants and public entertainment

venues.

It breaks down the traditional barriers between people and technology, providing effortless

interaction with digital content. Similar to the way ATMs changed how people got money from

the bank, Microsoft is changing the way people will interact with all kinds of everyday content,

including photos, music, a virtual concierge and games. Common, everyday tasks become

entertaining, enjoyable and engaging, alone or face-to-face with family, friends or co-workers.

REFERENCES :

www.google.com

www.wikipedia.com

www.microsoft.com

www.authorstream.com

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