When you say multi-touch, most of us instantly think of the technology used in some of Apple's successful products, such as the iPhone or the MacBook Pro. This technology allows users to interact with a certain device using their fingers, with several touch combinations. However, MultiTouch is also the name of a Finland-based company that specializes in precisely this type of technology, and it has just recently announced the first modular multi-touch LCD screen, which could ultimately compete with Microsoft's Touchwall.
The product has been dubbed MultiTouch Cell, and basically provides a Full HD LCD screen unit, which can be offered in both a 32-inch and a 46-inch size. The cells can be positioned in both portrait or landscape mode, and allow uses to create huge multi-touch screens, coffee tables, or even multi-touch floors. According to the company, the number of cells that can be connected together is limited only by a user's imagination or budget.
The cells don't require any setup, have no moving parts and need no maintenance, according to the company. They can be used with a Mac-, Linux- or Windows-powered computer system, using the industry standard HDMI, FireWire and USB cables. The company also claims that the product can even be powered by a laptop.
The MultiTouch Cells are controlled by the company's CornerStone software application, which handles the core multicore functionality, tracking the users' hands as they move on the screen. It ships with the product, and will allow users to create multi-touch applications that can be scaled to work with one, two, or several MultiCells LCD screens.
In a video demo posted on the company's website, two users interact simultaneously on two of these cells stacked one upon each other. Each of the applications used in the demonstration run at an impressive 60FPS, while both users get to interact with the product.
The company's 46-inch product has a price tag of about $16,000, and comes with a fully-configured Linux-based PC computer system, running the provided software. Without the software, the price goes down at about $14,700 per unit. For a Full HD-capable 32-inch display, the cost with the included software is $8,300, while for a Linux PC-free offering you will have to pay almost $7,200.
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