Create Digital Motion

faderTouch: Pico-Powered Mobile Multi-touch Projection Controller

By Peter Kirn

VJ Fader faderTouch Processing – BeiJing studio 1 from VJFader on Vimeo.

Multi-touch projection is now easy to do with free software, a projector, and a projection surface. The trick is making a controller that is more portable. VJ Fader has a nice, home-built rig, seen here controlling Processing sketches. It uses a 10-lumen pico projector, and a mirror to shorten the throw distance required. I might be inclined to go slightly larger than the pico, as there are now ultra-compact projectors in the 100-lumen range (or even greater) that add only a little size but a lot of brightness. Here’s hoping for some Black Friday / Cyber Monday projector deals, eh? (That’s right, economy. You know you’re hurting. You business folks are just going to have to use white boards and give all your projectors to us.)

It seems there should be some ways to continue to refine the form factor to make this easier to carry. Of course, an even more compact setup would be one of the new laptops available with multitouch screens, from vendors like HP and Lenovo. But those machines aren’t yet paired with high-power GPUs, and unlike a projector, your audience can’t see what you’re doing. They’re also less suited to collaboration, whereas a screen like this can be easily shared with others. I think even if multitouch becomes more prevalent and Apple introduces the Tablet some of you are apparently awaiting, there will still be a case for the projector screen.

Processing users, if you’re looking for multi-touch control, I can wholeheartedly recommend the new MT4j “Multitouch for Java.” (An uncreative, but descriptive name.) It’s actually built in Processing:

MT4j

Via our friend Momo and mmmlabs:
faderTouch DIY touchscreen