How to Make a Cheap Multitouch Pad

Multitouch Mini (MTmini) a Cheap Multitouch Pad

Website:
http://ssandler.wordpress.com/MTmini
MTmini discussion thread: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread...

Materials

• Cardboard Box
• Piece of Clear Flat Sturdy Material (ie. Glass, acrylic, plexiglas)
• Paper (ie. printer paper, tracing paper, almost any paper)
• Webcam or Video Camera (I use a Philips SPC900NC)
• Computer (dual core recommended, but not needed)
• Optional Picture Frame

Total Cost: $5 - $50

Finger Tracking Software

• Touchlib: http://nuigroup.com/touchlib
• Set touchlib to use front illumination xml file.

THERE WILL BE A MAC VERSION OF THE TRACKING SOFTWARE SOON. ALSO A PACKAGED VERSION WITH TRACKING SOFTWARE AND EXAMPLES/DEMOS COMBINED.

Other Software/Demos

• -Windows Mousedriver: http://nuigroup.com/touchlib
• -Smoke Demo: http://nuigroup.com/touchlib
• -MultiKey Application: http://ssandler.wordpress.com/my-soft...

Coming soon:

• Photo Application
• Ripples
• Wall Pong Game
• Physics Demo

How's it Work and What Conditions are Necessary?
For this to work, all you need is a room with (at least) some light. The results will be best when the room lighting is even (no bright lights shinning from one direction onto the multitouch pad).

When you place you fingers on the surface, shadows are created where your fingers are. The webcam sees these shadows and sends the image to the tracking software which tracks the shadows as they move around. It's really that simple!

For more information, visit:

• http://ssandler.wordpress.com/MTmini
• http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/1 731/
• http://www.nuigroup.com/forum
• http://www.nuigroup.com