Light Touch from Light Blue Optics

While I was at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas this year, which, in case you don’t know much about tech, it is the show of the year to see the latest in consumer technology.  I was able to experience some new technology with the Light Touch interactive projector from Light Blue Optics, and it is very easy to see why Light Touch was named a CES Innovations Honoree for Media Player and Personal Electronics categories.    

Light Blue Optics had a press conference to demonstrate this new tech that can turn any flat surface into a touchscreen.  It uses Holographic Laser Projection technology to project high-quality video images in WBGA resolution.  Light Touch allows the user to create a 10.1 inch touchscreen to operate any program as the user interacts with application by touching the image, rather than a fixed display. 

This technology is not going to be available directly to the market, but released to OEM customers only.  Light Blue Optics is working with major companies such as Adobe, Microsoft, Samsung, Toshiba, Micron, Photop, and Interbrand. 

The device itself is ready to focus on any distance, but I don’t have word on what the range is. It is able to do “perfect projection” onto curved and tinted surfaces.  It is planned to have a battery life of about two hours without recharging. 

The applications of this are pretty amazing, and they would probably change the world as we knew it when it comes to computing.  Just imagine a computer whose display and keyboard are not two separate entities, but are actually one and the same!  In all honesty, I’m not certain that I could get my mind around something like that.  I mean, I have a hard enough time using iPhone applications with the tiny little keyboard. 

The Light Touch is planned to have access through the internet via Bleutooth and Wi-Fi.  It has many applications in the retail business, turning any table into a cash register display.  As for the workplace, just imagine having a personal computer on any flat surface, which includes a wall.  As fro the home, I want one of these already. 

It’s too bad that Light Blue Optics isn’t offering this technology to the simple consumer, that is, not yet.  I can see this making a killing.  It is hard to believe that this company started less than six years ago by four students.  We will see how well this will be on display at next year’s CES.