Microsoft has figured out how to make any surface into a touch screen

This is what Ithought when I first saw it, a modified kinect device, it's movement speed and style looks almost the same.

I'm surprisingly skeptical of this prototype. The big problem that I find is that the most readily accessible surfaces you use, your hand and arm, are limited in size and interactability.
I mean, this is why touchscreens are popular, you have a fixed size to work with and the surface is flat and clean where your actions can be recognised. Using this camera you'll have to find a good surface to properly work with. And what if you have long sleeves or stuff on your wrist like a watch, does that mean you can't use it properly?
Will it work on bumpy surfaces, or surfaces that can easily be moved to form other shapes likea bed sheet? And can you use it like a computer or is it literally just an interactive projector on your shoulder at this stage?

I've seen more advanced tech like this at their prototype stage, i'm not impressed this will do any better.

 

wow, i know this is just a prototype, but its awesome i want this...

i find this a step forward to the future

Spoiler

Those "Ted" things are just...

well the are for identifying products, and utilizing Motions to the computer, what Microsoft did was revolutionary becasue you use you'r computer On-the-go, not to mention easy accessibility

 

Well Microsoft needs to get it's game on. Apple is seriously owning up Microsoft even though Microsoft does have more programs and stabilities, since Apple has Iphone and Ipad's now, a touch screen really isn't good unless they use it for something cool.

 

First, TED is just a conference, it provided nothing more than a stage for the team from MIT to demo "Sixth Sense"

Second, "Sixth Sense" is a general platform like if someone were to demonstrate Android or Linux.

The main thing I see Microsoft having done is improve the gesture analysis using spatial recognition rather than color analysis. Aside from that "Sixth Sense" has the advantage of being demoed two years earlier with very similar features and with a much more sleek design. And yes the design factor is up for opinion but I could see myself wearing the Sixth Sense device they showed, the same could not be said of the shoulder mounted device that Microsoft was showing.