Surface computing1

SURFACE COMPUTING

Submitted To: Submitted By:
Ms. Nidhi Tyagi Kumar Gaurav
B.Tech 4th Year (CS)
MRT09UGBCS013

Faculty of Electronics, Informatics & Computer Engineering
2012-13

SURFACE COMPUTING

ABSTRACT

The name Surface comes from “surface computing” and Microsoft envisions the coffee-table
machine as the first of many such devices. Surface computing uses a blend of wireless
protocols, special machine-readable tags and shape recognition to seamlessly merge the real
and the virtual world — an idea the Milan team refers to as "blended reality." The table can
be built with a variety of wireless transceivers, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and (eventually)
radio frequency identification (RFID) and is designed to sync instantly with any device that
touches its surface.

It supports multiple touch points – Microsoft says "dozens and dozens" -- as well as multiple
users simultaneously, so more than one person could be using it at once, or one person
could be doing multiple tasks.

The term "surface" describes how it's used. There is no keyboard or mouse. All interactions
with the computer are done via touching the surface of the computer's screen with hands or
brushes, or via wireless interaction with devices such as smartphones, digital cameras or
Microsoft's Zune music player. Because of the cameras, the device can also recognize physical
objects; for instance credit cards or hotel "loyalty" cards. For instance, a user could set a digital
camera down on the tabletop and wirelessly transfer pictures into folders on Surface's hard
drive. Or setting a music player down would let a user drag songs from his or her home music
collection directly into the player, or between two players, using a finger – or transfer mapping
information for the location of a restaurant where you just made reservations through a
Surface tabletop over to a smartphone just before you walk out the door.

SURFACE COMPUTING

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………..4
2. WHAT IS SURFACE COMPUTING? ...............................................5
3. HISTORY OF SURFACE COMPUTING………………………………………….5
3.1 Hardware Design……………………………………………………..6
3.2 From Prototype to Product………………………………………7
4. KEY ATTRIBUTES OF SURFACE COMPUTING……………………………..7
5. TECHNOLOGY BEHIND SURFACE COMPUTING………………………….8
6. MICROSOFT SURFACE OVERVIEW……………………………………………..8
6.1 The Hardware……………………………………………………………9
6.2 System Software……………………………………………………….10
7. FEATURES………………………………………………………………………………….11
8. APPLICATIONS OF SURFACE COMPUTING………………………………..11
8.1 Water………………………………………………………………………11
8.2 Paint………………………………………………………………………..12
8.3 Music………………………………………………………………………12
8.4 Photos…………………………………………………………………….13
8.5 Casino……………………………………………………………………..13
8.6 Dining……………………………………………………………………..13
9. SURFACE COMPUTING – IN FUTURE………………………………………..14
10. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………….14
11. BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………….14

SURFACE COMPUTING

1. Introduction:
Over the past couple of years, a new class of interactive device has begun to emerge,
what can best be described as ―surface computing‖. Two examples are illustrated in this
report. They are,
Surface Table top
Perceptive Pixel

The Surface table top typically incorporates a rear-projection display coupled with an
optical system to capture touch points by detecting shadows from below. Different approaches
to doing the detection have been used, but most employ some form of IR illumination coupled
with IR cameras. With today’s camera and signal-processing capability, reliable responsive and
accurate multi-touch capabilities can be achieved. The multitouch pioneer and his company,
Perceptive Pixel , have devoted the better part of two years to building an entirely new
multitouch framework from the ground up. Instead of simply mapping multitouch technology
to familiar interfaces and devices, Han's goal is far more sweeping: To use the technology as a
foundation for an entirely new operating system.
Because they are new to most, the tendency in seeing these systems is to assume that
they are all more-or-less alike. Well, in a way that is true. But on the other hand, that is
perhaps no more so than to say that all ICs are more-or-less alike, since they are black
plastic things with feet like centipedes which contain a bunch of transistors and other stuff.
In short, the more that you know, the more you can differentiate. But even looking at the two
systems in the photo, there is evidence of really significant difference. The really significant
difference is that one is vertical and the other is horizontal. Why is this significant? Well, this is
one of those questions perhaps best answered by a child in kindergarten. They will tell you that
if you put a glass of water on the vertical one, it will fall to the floor, leading to a bout of sitting
in the corner. On the other hand, it is perfectly safe to put things on a table. They will stay
there.

SURFACE COMPUTING

2. What is surface computing?

Surface computing is a new way of working with computers that moves beyond
the traditional mouse-and-keyboard experience. It is a natural user interface that allows
people to interact with digital content the same way they have interacted with everyday
items such as photos, paintbrushes and music their entire life: with their hands, with
gestures and by putting real-world objects on the surface. Surface computing opens up a
whole new category of products for users to interact with.
Surface computing is a completely intuitive and liberating way to interact with
digital content. It blurs the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. By using your
hands or placing other unique everyday objects on the surface – such as an item you’re
going to purchase at a retail store or a paint brush – you can interact with, share and
collaborate like you’ve never done before. Imagine you’re out at a restaurant with friends
and you each place your beverage on the table – and all kinds of information appears by
your glass, such as wine pairings with a restaurant’s menu.
Surface computing is a powerful movement. In fact, it’s as significant as the move
from DOS [Disk Operating System] to GUI [Graphic User Interface]. Our research shows
that many people are intimidated and isolated by today’s technology. Many features
available in mobile phones, PCs and other electronic devices like digital cameras aren’t
even used because the technology is intimidating. Surface computing breaks down those
traditional barriers to technology so that people can interact with all kinds of digital
content in a more intuitive, engaging and efficient manner. It’s about technology adapting
to the user, rather than the user adapting to the technology.

3. History of Surface Computing:

Surface computing is a major advancement that moves beyond the traditional user
interface to a more natural way of interacting with digital content. Microsoft Surface™,
Microsoft Corp.’s first commercially available surface computer, breaks down the traditional
barriers between people and technology to provide effortless interaction with all forms of
digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects instead of a mouse and
keyboard. The people will be able to interact with Surface in select restaurants, hotels, retail
establishments and public entertainment.
In 2001, Stevie Bathiche of Microsoft Hardware and Andy Wilson of Microsoft
Research began working together on various projects that took advantage of their
complementary expertise in the areas of hardware and software. In one of their regular

SURFACE COMPUTING

brainstorm sessions, they started talking about an idea for an interactive table that could
understand the manipulation of physical pieces. Although there were related efforts happening
in academia, Bathiche and Wilson saw the need for a product where the interaction was richer
and more intuitive, and at the same time practical for everyone to use. This conversation was
the beginning of an idea that would later result in the development of Surface, and over the
course of the following year, various people at Microsoft involved in developing new product
concepts, including the gaming-specific PlayTable, continued to think through the possibilities
and feasibility of the project. Then in October 2001 a virtual team was formed to fully pursue
bringing the idea to the next stage of development; Bathiche and Wilson were key members of
the team.
In early 2003, the team presented the idea to Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman, in a
group review. Gates instantly liked the idea and encouraged the team to continue to develop
their thinking. The virtual team expanded, and within a month, through constant discussion and
brainstorming, the first humble prototype was born and nicknamed T1.
The model was based on an IKEA table with a hole cut in the top and a sheet of architect
vellum used as a diffuser. The evolution of Surface had begun. A variety of early applications
were also built, including pinball, a photo browser and a video puzzle. As more applications
were developed, the team saw the value of the surface computer beyond simply gaming and
began to favor those applications that took advantage of the unique ability of Surface to
recognize physical objects placed on the table.
One of the key attributes of Surface is object recognition and the ability of objects
placed on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of
digital content. This feature went through numerous rounds of testing and refining. The team
explored various tag formats of all shapes and sizes before landing on the domino tag (used
today) which is an 8-bit, three-quarter-inch-square tag that is optimal thanks to its small size. At
the same time, the original plan of using a single camera in the vision system was proving to be
unreliable. After exploring a variety of options, including camera placement and different
camera lens sizes, it was decided that Surface would use five cameras that would more
accurately detect natural movements and gestures from the surface.

3.1 Hardware design:

The “Tub” model:
By late 2004, the software development platform of Surface was well-established
and attention turned to the form factor. A number of different experimental prototypes
were built including ―the tub‖ model, which was encased in a rounded plastic shell, a
desk-height model with a square top and cloth-covered sides, and even a bar-height model that
could be used while standing. After extensive testing and user research, the final hardware

SURFACE COMPUTING

design (seen today) was finalized in 2005. Also in 2005, Wilson and Bathiche introduced the
concept of surface computing in a paper for Gates’ twice-yearly ―Think Week, a time Gates
takes to evaluate new ideas and technologies for the company.

3.2 From Prototype to Product:

“T1 Prototype”
The next phase of the development of Surface focused on continuing the journey
from concept to product. Although much of what would later ship as Surface was determined,
there was significant work to be done to develop a market-ready product that could be scaled
to mass production.
In early 2006, Pete Thompson joined the group as general manager, tasked with
driving end-to-end business and growing development and marketing. Under his leadership,
the group has grown to more than 100 employees. Today Surface has become the market-
ready product once only envisioned by the group, a 30-inch display in a table- like form factor
that’s easy for individuals or small groups to use collaboratively. The sleek, translucent surface
lets people engage with Surface using touch, natural hand gestures and physical objects placed
on the surface. Years in the making, Microsoft Surface is now poised to transform the way
people shop, dine, entertain and live. This is a radically different user-interface experience than
anything and it’s really a testament to the innovation that comes from marrying brilliance and
creativity.

4. Key attributes of Surface Computing:

Surface computing features four key attributes:
• Direct interaction. Users can actually ―grab‖ digital information with their hands and
interact with content through touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.

• Multi touch contact. Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously,
not just from one finger as with a typical touch screen, but up to dozens and dozens of items at
once.

• Multi - 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.

SURFACE COMPUTING

• Object recognition. Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different types
of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.

5. Technology behind Surface Computing:

Microsoft Surface uses cameras to sense objects, hand gestures and touch. This user
input is then processed and displayed using rear projection. Specifically: Microsoft Surface uses
a rear projection system which displays an image onto the underside of a thin diffuser.
Objects such as fingers are visible through the diffuser by series of infrared–sensitive
cameras, positioned underneath the display.
An image processing system processes the camera images to detect fingers, custom
tags and other objects such as paint brushes when touching the display.
The objects recognized with this system are reported to applications running in the
computer so that they can react to object shapes, 2D tags, movement and touch.
One of the key components of surface computing is a "multitouch" screen. It is an
idea that has been floating around the research community since the 1980s and is swiftly
becoming a hip new product interface — Apple's new iPhone has multitouch scrolling and
picture manipulation. Multitouch devices accept input from multiple fingers and multiple users
simultaneously, allowing for complex gestures, including grabbing, stretching, swiveling and
sliding virtual objects across the table. And the Surface has the added advantage of a horizontal
screen, so several people can gather around and use it together. Its interface is the exact
opposite of the personal computer: cooperative, hands- on, and designed for public spaces.

6. Microsoft Surface Overview:

Microsoft Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive computing
experience. The product provides 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. Currently available in select in restaurants,
hotels, retail establishments and public entertainment venues, this experience will transform
the way people shop, dine, entertain and live.
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. Surface can
simultaneously recognize dozens and dozens of movements such as touch, gestures and actual
unique objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes.

SURFACE COMPUTING

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.

6.1 The Hardware:
Essentially, Microsoft Surface is a computer embedded in a medium-sized table, with a
large, flat display on top that is touch-sensitive. The software reacts to the touch of any object,
including human fingers, and can track the presence and movement of many different objects
at the same time. In addition to sensing touch, the Microsoft Surface unit can detect objects
that are labeled with small "domino" stickers, and in the future, it will identify devices via radio-
frequency identification (RFID) tags.
The demonstration unit I used was housed in an attractive glass table about three
feet high, with a solid base that hides a fairly standard computer equipped with an Intel Core 2
Duo processor, an AMI BIOS, 2 GB of RAM, and Windows Vista. The team lead would not
divulge which graphics card was inside, but they said that it was a moderately- powerful
graphics card from either AMD/ATI or NVIDIA.

(1) Screen: A diffuser turns the Surface's acrylic tabletop into a large horizontal "multitouch"
screen, capable of processing multiple inputs from multiple users. The Surface can also
recognize objects by their shapes or by reading coded "domino" tags.

SURFACE COMPUTING

(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 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 HDTVs. 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.

6.2 System software:
Microsoft Surface works much like another Microsoft product, Media Center, in that the
main application runs on top of Windows and takes over the whole screen. Like Media Center,
it is designed to be difficult to exit the application without using a mouse or keyboard. I asked if
the Surface team considered allowing the user to drop into Windows mode while retaining the
touch functionality, but they felt that the product worked better if it stayed in this mode.
The various demonstration programs are accessed from a main menu, which scrolls left
and right in an endless loop. The user moves the selection by swiping back and forth and selects
an application with a single tap. This works reasonably well and feels quite natural.
There were eight different programs available: Water, Video Puzzle, Paint, Music,
Photos, Casino, a T-Mobile demonstration app, and Dining. Much of the software was written
using Microsoft's WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), though the XNA development
toolkit, a framework originally created for writing PC and Xbox 360 games, is also supported.
XNA allows programmers to use managed code written in C# to manipulate various DirectX
features; managed code frees the programmer from worrying about handling memory,
allocating and discarding memory automatically. This approach has allowed Microsoft and its
partners to write impressive-looking demonstration programs for Surface more quickly than
would otherwise be possible.

SURFACE COMPUTING

7. Features:

Multi-touch display: The Microsoft Surface display is capable of multi-touch interaction,
recognizing dozens and dozens of touches simultaneously, including fingers, hands, gestures
and objects. Perceptive Pixel’s touch screens work via frustrated total internal reflection

Technology: The acrylic surface has infrared LEDs on the edges. When undisturbed, the
light passes along predictable paths, a process known as total internal reflection. When
one or more fingers touch the surface, the light diffuses at the contact points, changing
the internal-reflection pathways. A camera below the surface captures the diffusion and
sends the information to image-processing software, which translates it into a command.

Horizontal orientation: The 30-inch display in a table-sized form factor allows users to share,
explore and create experiences together, enabling a truly collaborative computing experience.

Dimensions: Microsoft Surface is 22 inches high, 21 inches deep and 42 inches wide.

Materials: The Microsoft Surface tabletop is acrylic, and its interior frame is powder-coated
steel.

9. Applications of Surface Computing:

9.1 Water and Drinks

One interesting feature of Water is that if you take any object (the team used a regular
stove dial) and stick an identification sticker on the bottom, the program will switch background
pictures whenever you turn the dial.

SURFACE COMPUTING

9.2 Paint

Surface’s paint program is even lighter on features than MacPaint was, but the natural
user interface makes up for this deficiency.
There are three draw modes that can be toggled by touching an icon on the bottom of
the toolbar: brush, paint, and reveal, the last of which is kind of a negative brush that shows a
background bitmap underneath. The brush mode is a bit spotty and tends to skip, but the paint
mode is smooth and fun. You can draw using one finger, all your fingers at once (good for
drawing hair), the palm of your hand, or using any natural object such as a regular paintbrush.
Using the program is like having a flashback to finger painting back in kindergarten (minus the
mess), and certainly children will have tons of fun with this kind of application.

9.3 Music

The Music application works like a virtual jukebox, displaying music arranged by album
and allowing the user to flip over albums, select songs, and drag them to the "Now Playing"
section. The album browser works a bit like Apple’s Cover Flow, although many albums are
visible at once without scrolling.
Another feature is swapping music from one mp3 player to another.

SURFACE COMPUTING

9.4 Photos
Sharing photos is a much more unrestricted activity, thanks to the fact that the
consumer is also the creator of the content, and the photo album application reflected this
freedom. By simply placing a Bluetooth-equipped digital camera on the tabletop, Surface was
able to import the photos and place them in a pile on the screen, which Bolger verified by
taking a picture of Cindy, my Microsoft PR contact who was sitting in the next chair.
Not only pictures but full-motion videos can be viewed in this way; tapping the video
once starts the playback, and it can be smoothly resized and rotated while it plays.

9.5 Casino
The Casino application was developed in cooperation with Harrah's of Las Vegas and is
a good example of how Surface can be used in a hospitality environment. The background
image is a giant map of the hotel and casino, with all the attractions marked for further
inspection. Hotel customers can place their card anywhere on the screen and reserve tickets to
any of these shows. The background map can be easily scrolled with a brush of the hand, and
zoomed in and out by performing the two-finger pinch.

9.6 Dining

The application allows diners to preview the entire menu by choosing a category
(drinks, appetizers, main courses, and so forth) and then scrolling left and right through the
available options. Items can be dragged into a central "ordering area" and when everyone is
satisfied with their choices, a single tap on the Order button sends the list out to the waiter.
This could potentially save service people huge chunks of time and would be very useful for
busy restaurants. The software can display the daily specials, and for regular customers with
their own identification cards, it could display a list of "favorites" to make ordering even easier.

SURFACE COMPUTING

10. Surface Computing - In Future:
Although surface computing is a new experience for consumers, over time Microsoft
believes there will be a whole range of surface computing devices and the technology will
become pervasive in people’s lives in a variety of environments.
As form factors continue to evolve, surface computing will be in any number of
environments— schools, businesses, homes — and in any number of form factors — part of
the countertop, the wall or the refrigerator.

11. Conclusions:
Some people will look at Surface and claim that it does nothing that hasn't been tried
before: computers with touch screens have been around for years and have already found
niches in ATMs, ticket ordering machines, and restaurant point-of-sale devices. This view largely
misses the point of the product. Like most projects, Surface takes existing technology and
presents it in a new way.
Playing with the unit felt a bit like being in the movie Minority Report (in a good way),
but it also felt like a more natural and enjoyable method of doing certain computing tasks.
Sharing and looking at family photos, for example, is more fun on Surface than on any other
device. The retail applications, particularly the dining application, show how businesses could
use the technology to really stand out from competitors, though one wonders how diners will
react when their table locks up and needs a reboot.
Many people who viewed the early Xerox PARC demonstrations of the GUI came out of
that experience knowing that every computer would work that way someday, and they were
right. Playing with Surface, one gets the sense that although not every computer will work like
this someday, many of them will.
12. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Apple iPhone Multi-touch. http://www.apple.com/iphone/
2. www.scribd.com
3. www.whereisdoc.com
4. www.docjax.com
5. Microsoft Surface, http://www.surface.com
6. Perceptive Pixel, http://www.perceptivepixel.com

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