After months of development, we have set the release date for our multitouch framework and development environment for Adobe Flash. A free public alpha version will be available on July 15th. You can learn more about GestureWorks at gestureworks.com.

We built GestureWorks to speed the development of our own multitouch and multiuser exhibits, but soon realized it this would be of value to others Flash developers. 

GestureWorks provides a single solution for the HP TouchSmart and Dell Studio One multitouch enabled computers. We include optimized drivers for the NextWindow (multitouch overlay) that comes with each of these systems. The framework  greatly speeds development in Flash.  It is also extremely efficient: multitouch enabled applications created with GestureWorks run faster, using significantly less CPU than those using other authoring approaches.  GestureWorks will be available for Mac OS X and Windows and will work with Adobe Flash CS3 and CS4.

Additionally, GestureWorks will ship free with our multitouch table, and it works in conjunction with NUI’s Snowflake software. You can see a full list of features and performance information on the GestureWorks site.

To be notified of the free public Alpha, you can join the mailing list on the GestureWorks site. You can also follow GestureWorks on Twitter.

In August, we will be expanding the Ideum “campus” by adding a new studio space across the street. This new space (studio “C”) will allow us to work on larger exhibit installations, speed turn around time for multitouch tables, and give us room to add a few new developers. Studio C is raw and it will built out over the next 6 weeks.  Here’s some photographs of the space, full sized images are available on Ideum’s Flickr site.

I’ll post more pictures as the new space is built out.

Since the release of the Wii gaming system developers have been experimenting in connecting game controllers with other computer systems. Our recent entry into multitouch, has deepened our interest in all forms of physical computing. So, we decided to take a quick look ourselves to see what possibilities Wii Remote controllers and Adobe Flash might provide for exhibit development.

As a quick proof of concept, we downloaded the WiiFlash Server for Mac and took a look at some the examples provided on the WiiFlash site. 

In no time, Jonathan here at the studio had some examples working with the Wii controller and the Wii balance board. The controller examples took advantage of the motion sensing built into the device. (You can learn more about how the Wii works at the NY Times website. ) As you move the Wii controller a 3D-image of plane rotates and moves in unison on the screen.

We also tried out DarwiinRemote which turns the Wii infrared sensors into mouse coordinates. Both this application and the WiiFlash server connect via a bluetooth device in your computer. Any mouse or keyboard action can be mapped to the Wiimote buttons.

We also came across examples that use the controller as “receiver” with LEDs are used as input devices. A good example of this application is WiiSpray. 

Securing the Wii controller in a museum environment is a major concern, as is power to the controller. Still, one could imagine providing constant power through some sort of tether that might simultaneously secure the device.

The Wii balance board shows a lot promise for museum exhibits. It provides a simple way to measure a visitor’s weight and get that data into the computer. One could easily picture a “your weight on other worlds” exhibit (see a simple online version at the Exploratorium). The board and Flash can also be used to detect the weight of each quadrant along with the total weight being registered on the board.  Side-to-side and front-and-back movement can be detected via the four quadrants along Flash to detect shifts in weight.

The Wii Balance Board.

The output in WiiFlash displaying weight from the different quadrants.

The WiiFlash demo showing the total weight in Kilograms.

One limitation is the WiiFlash server cannot read the current battery power of the board. However, in a museum exhibit you’d need to wire direct power to battery area anyway. You’d also need to find a way to secure the board. The only major limitation to using the Wii balance board in a museum environment is that it needs to detect the blue tooth connection with the computer on start-up.  This requires pressing a button on the bottom of the board when the computer boots. So, constant power would be necessary. Of course, this not a very “green” option.

We’ll post more about the Wii and Flash as a potential exhibit development platform as we continue to experiment.

The HP TouchSmart all-in-one PC is a low-cost and stable platform that has proven useful for deployment as a multitouch kiosk. In past exhibits we have deployed them using custom kiosk stands.

Beginning in July, we are offering an affordable off-the-shelf kiosk stand that will accommodate any size HP TouchSmart, you can learn more on our TouchStands page.

The rugged Ideum kiosk stand is made for professional installations in high-traffic environments. It is machined from heavy-gauge powder coated steel, with a dual -reinforced integrated VESA bracket, and precision high strength welding. It features an adjustable or fixed screen angle, and an ADA compliant adjustable height.

The stand incorporates a hidden cable run, with openings large enough to accommodate VGA or DVI cables, vibration dampening, pinhole power button access, and a small 18″ x 22″ footprint – designed for bolting to the floor.

The Ideum touch smart stand provides an elegant and affordable kiosk solution for the HP TouchSmart. Retail pricing will be around $1300, to be announced when we begin shipping in July. Update: September 1, pricing for 1 unit will be $1,300, a full product description and volume pricing will be published in later this month.

Update: October 5, 2009: Pricing information for our HP TouchSmart Kiosk Stands is now available.

Update: October 28, 2009. See a new post with video and images of the 100″ table in action.

We’ve begun work on our most ambitious multitouch exhibit to date. We are building a 100″ table for Adventure Science Center’s Sudekum Planetarium in Nashville, Tennessee. The design is based on our MT2 multitouch table. For this custom installation, we are doubling the current form factor to create our largest multitouch surface to date. Of course, doubling the size involves a number of significant changes.

The 100″ multitouch table will use two high-resolution projectors, yielding a combined resolution of 2500 x 720. The two projected images will be blended together using a specialized video card producing a seamless 7:2 ratio, ultra-wide screen image.

The table design has been modified to include a contiguous glass surface with rounded edges and wrap around powder-coated black panels. Underneath, bright blue LED lights provide “ground effects.” We’ve been working with Adventure Science Center and our design partners at Ralph Applebaum and Associates to finalize the look of the 100″ table.

The exhibit will be multitouch and multiuser. The table will present a representation of the electromagnetic spectrum from Radio to Gamma-Rays. The visible spectrum appears in the center of the table.

Visitors (up to 8 or more simultaneously) will be able interact with images of terrestrial and celestial  objects that appear on the table surface. Visitors can rotate, scale and move the images across the table. As images pass from one wavelength to another, a new image is revealed showing the object as it appears in the new wavelength.  Contextual metadata will allow visitors to learn more about the image(s) they are interacting with.

The exhibit can be approached from either side.  Wavelength “drawers” can be popped-out revealing more information about the wavelength the visitor is exploring.

We’re using Natural User Interface’s Snowflake software for optical support and for “blob tracking.” The exhibit uses two computers.  One will do blob tracking, recognizing visitors finger tips on the table surface. The other computer will run the EM spectrum application, which we are developing in Adobe Flash. We’ll post more about this exhibit as we continue to make progress.