Touch sensor technology company Zytronic has worked with Tangible Display to offer object recognition capability on its multi-touch glass (ZyBrid) and foil (ZyFilm) sensor products, up to 85in diagonal.
Particularly suited to retail applications, museums and galleries, object recognition provides a compelling way of engaging the user with interactive content on a touchtable. The Zytronic and Tangible Display solution is based on the attachment of physical markers to the objects to be tracked, and does not require the touch sensor or multi-touch controller to be modified. ObjectViz, Tangible Display’s proprietary object recognition user interface software, works in concert with proprietary Zytronic firmware that can be quickly installed onto a standard ZXY200 or 300, 40-point multitouch controller.
Customers in a car showroom for example, can handle models of different cars, then place them on the table to access further information about that model such as specification, options and prices. Museums can also use the touchscreens and software to create engaging visitor experiences, where videos and other content can be initiated when a model of the artefact under discussion is placed on the table.
A key advantage of this new solution is that although the sensor responds to multiple touches, any objects placed on the screen that do not have the requisite ‘tags’ on their base are disregarded: a cup, pen or a bag left on the table, or a sleeve making contact with the glass, will be ignored. As part of the guided set-up process, the Tangible software is taught to recognise only a specific pattern of tags attached to an object, and respond accordingly. Furthermore, a full report of user interactions can be saved for later review and analysis.
Jimmy Ricaut, CEO and founder of Tangible Display, said that the collaboration “greatly expands the potential market for this technology. The performance accuracy of the Zytronic MPCT sensors meant that we were able to integrate our object recognition solution smoothly. Together, we worked on improving the noise rejection of the solution, allowing outstanding sensing accuracy to be achieved on very large screens.”
Ian Crosby, sales and marketing director of Zytronic, added, “Now, users can create their own interactive objects for use with our multi-touch screens, creating a more engaging, immersive experience.”
