Projecting a Touchscreen from Your Palm

Touch_Screen_DisplaySmart boards – white boards with projected images that turn the surface into a touchscreen – have long been used by companies and educational institutions for giving interactive presentations. The data is projected from a machine that’s usually a short distance away from the screen. And the angle of projection often prevents interference from presenters walking between the projector and the white board.

Another clever presentation tool – the handheld, compact projector – also has been in use for some time, enabling professionals to carry their presentations with them practically wherever they go.

Now, there’s another tool coming to market that combines the touch capabilities of the smart board with the portability of a handheld projector. Whether the machine winds up revolutionizing how offices plan spaces and meeting rooms for presentations remains to be seen. The new device could be just another improved form of technology that, one day, allows touch-screen presentations to be made from smartphones. Or even smart watches.

The TouchPico from TouchJet, says Mashable, will run any Android app while projecting a nearly 7-foot image on any wall. The picture is strong enough to light up a room, and the unit comes with a custom stylus for enhanced presentation capabilities.

The stylus is not attached to the handheld unit, which looks as though it can fit into the palm of an adult’s hand. Instead, the stylus has an infrared switcher, which works in tandem with the projector’s infrared camera. As a result, presenters can interact with projected objects using gestures and taps.

The projector unit contains audio-out and HDMI ports. It also has a built-in WiFi system that can work with Android’s Screencast technology.

About the only thing the projector doesn’t yet do is run on its own power, much like a smartphone can. A standard AC power source keeps things humming.

The TouchJet, which is expected to retail for about $500, has launched an Indiegogo campaign for funding. With a little more than two weeks left, the campaign had brought in over 800% of the original goal of $55,000. Units are expected to ship sometime in October.

And then the presenters of the corporate world, as well as planners of office and meeting space, will have the opportunity to see whether the TouchJet is the game changer it portends to be.

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