Multitouch Ableton System available

[GhostandtheMachine]

Hello Ableton Users,

We wanted to announce Demand Evolution is launching a few new products
that are geared towards musicians, and performers.


Our 30" Multi-touch LCD with Computer Vision, the Gecko, is a
professional grade development system which supports multiple users
and input methods.

And for large live performance and larger visualizations we are
launching the 50" projection based Multi-touch and Vision
Development Kit.

With Max/Msp Multi-touch support, and the new Max for Live, we hope to
be part of the new development wave for future Ableton software.

If you're interested, have any comments or suggestions, please check
us out at http://www.demandevolution.com



for a quick demo video check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-2bdoYzZvY

[MathematiK I]

cool...

why is the 30" so fat though ?!

[GhostandtheMachine]

The Demand Evolution units use vision systems to allow for scalability
in the amount of users, touches, and input methods that can used at one time.
The Gecko has high speed, low latency, filtered camera systems integrated
into the unit itself. This allows for development with not only touches,
but paint brushes, objects, no-contact objects from a distance, and whole
hands/arms. As well, the depth is negligible with the floating stand, which
allows users to change from multiple user table mode, to an angled mixing
console in seconds.

[GhostandtheMachine]

You can check the links below for additional information on either unint

30" LCD http://demandevolution.com/gecko

50" Portable Kit http://demandevolution.com/kit

[hoffman2k]

Does the price include the roadie that drags this thing around?

[McQ714]

ok.. i'll be the first to say it. the screen is impressive but the price is ridiculously high. you can get 32" multi-touch displays online for about $1500 to $2000. what makes this over-sized box worth more? at first glance, i thought it was an all-in-one pc. and maybe that would be worth $5900. but that price is just for the multi-touch display???

[MrShine]

Looks quite cool...but watching the video i noticed when the person using it moved their finger of the clip, at times it launched the clip below as he removed his finger from the screen....i assume is has adjustable touch sensitivity?

[GhostandtheMachine]

In hopes of making the technology available for more users, the 50" kit is highly
affordable for the size and functionality. The Gecko is geared towards developers
who are looking for a platform which supports far more input than just muti-touch.
In addition to that, the Gecko uses a high resolution display (2560x1650) as
opposed to other large screen options which are just 1080p televisions with overlays
that only work with fingers and have limits to the amounts of touches.

[McQ714]

In hopes of making the technology available for more users, the 50" kit is highly
affordable for the size and functionality. The Gecko is geared towards developers
who are looking for a platform which supports far more input than just muti-touch.
In addition to that, the Gecko uses a high resolution display (2560x1650) as
opposed to other large screen options which are just 1080p televisions with overlays
that only work with fingers and have limits to the amounts of touches.

so we could use jedi-mind tricks to control Live??? i could see developers spending that kind of money and i guess that's the market you are going for, but for the average consumer or performance musician or dj, this just isn't practical.

as far as Live's users go, this would have to be priced at about $2K to compete with the Lemur and it would need to be a lot more portable. a 20" rackmountable touchscreen lcd would be the cat's ass. if you could pull that off, i think you might quite a few converts from Jazz Mutant. 12" is a little small for a controller IMO.

[timwright]

$1000 for shipping? Are you serious?

[hoffman2k]

Maybe its my lack of understanding about SDK's and API's and this whole technology. But how is a camera based developer kit going to help to design software for whichever multitouch device will be available to the masses?
For example, multitouch technology is at the point today where the pad that senses the touches can distinguish between palm and fingers and it can sense pressure.
Recent patents show that haptic feedback has even been figured out, by aligning little metal particles with magnets so you can feel the outline of objects displayed on the touch screen.

What makes Gecko different from microsoft surface or a Stantum developer kit?

[GhostandtheMachine]

It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of the technology and some of the different avenues being researched, thanks for the questions.

Maybe its my lack of understanding about SDK's and API's and this whole technology. But how is a camera based developer kit going to help to design software for whichever multi-touch device will be available to the masses?


Our development has been vision based for many reasons, but I will give a few to directly answer your questions.

The MS Surface is in fact a vision system, using cameras, and is also projection which is why the surface's form factor is akin to a pac man table. This means it is not portable, not adjustable, and low resolution. The goal of the Gecko is to provide developers a platform that is open source, high resolution graphics (2560 x 1650), high speed vision (125fps or 5ms)input, and the versatility of a system that can be used as a table, mixing console, or whatever they want. As for the method of the masses, products like the Wii, and the soon to be out Xbobx 360 vision, and PS3 vision additions, prove that vision is not only a viable platform for the masses but a preference.


For example, multitouch technology is at the point today where the pad that senses the touches can distinguish between palm and fingers and it can sense pressure.
Recent patents show that haptic feedback has even been figured out, by aligning little metal particles with magnets so you can feel the outline of objects displayed on the touch screen.

The Gecko and the Dev Kit both, through the Open source software that runs them, can support these same features. For example, the amount of blobs is scalable (unlike any of the overlays) blob size, roation/angle, inertia, direction, etc., are all built in features. Pressure is detected by blob mass growth, as it is with the systems you mentioned, and it can recognize shapes. The dev Kit and Gecko both support Reactvision as well, which has proven to be not only cool for audiences to watch, but an engaging new digital music creation system using physical objects to input.
What makes Gecko different from microsoft surface or a Stantum developer kit?
Maybe its my lack of understanding about SDK's and API's and this whole technology. But how is a camera based developer kit going to help to design software for whichever multitouch device will be available to the masses?
For example, multitouch technology is at the point today where the pad that senses the touches can distinguish between palm and fingers and it can sense pressure.
Recent patents show that haptic feedback has even been figured out, by aligning little metal particles with magnets so you can feel the outline of objects displayed on the touch screen.

What makes Gecko different from microsoft surface or a Stantum developer kit?

Other than the features I mention already, the cost is a major difference. Both the Stantum and MS Surface are over 10k. The stantum is also, i believe, about a 12" screen. The Ms Surface is also 10k plus, and is a DLP tv in a box. The speed is also not really comparable. Our system is tuned for speed and versatility, and open development, both the surface and stantum run proprietary software which is limited for developers.

Thanks for the comments.

[McQ714]

will your company be working on a multi-touch display that is more practical for the average consumer? like i mentioned before, a 20" rackmountable display would be perfect, as 19" mixers give more than enough space for dj use. i don't need that $1100 30" HP monitor you guys are probably using. and 1080 resolution would be plenty for me.

[GhostandtheMachine]

In short yes. We plan on having a lower price, more compact LCD unit as soon as possible. The Gecko is geared towards studios, home studios, and software developers who will hopefully be making some of the apps we wall be using in the near future. The large size, with high resolution, provides a large canvas for interactive ui development with high level interactivity.

Since the systems both support software, such as Reactvision, and Reactable type interaction, along with touching, and non-touching inputs, we have developed on the larger size to support all these different methods comfortably.

In contrast, while the Gecko will move to a more compact design, the Multi-touch and computer vision kit will go much bigger. We hope to be offering different size's, up to a full 115" wall unit, for a very affordable price range similar to the current price of the kits. This will be geared towards live performance's etc.

[AudioRuso]

Eeeek no offence.... but that thing is stubby, bulky and ugly

Not to mention there's probably issues in sunlight.

I don't know if you know but Atmel is coming out with a glass thin multi touch display solution in the fall.... and Windows 7 is supposed to support true multi touch (at least I read somewhere)....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8weBw6M9HHY

It will come in a lot of different sizes from cellphone screen to full size monitor