Stepping outside the bounds of its usual focus on security and operating systems, Microsoft has recently licensed touch-screen technology. Dubbed "Touchlight", the technology is one of twenty projects being offered to venture capitalists for development in cooperation with Microsoft.

Signing on for Touchlight is EON Reality, who will use the technology for exhibitions, technical demonstrations, and training exercises. EON hopes to begin commercialization of the Touchlight and other similar projects before the year ends. (Source: microsoft-watch.com)

Touchlight: How It Works

Microsoft's Touchlight uses a pair of video cameras behind a transparent projection screen in order to create an image of objects.

The technology essentially takes your average, plastic display and transforms it into a highly interactive tool with input and output potential. Beyond this, Touchlight can combine both image and touch abilities.

What this means is that from one minute a user can interact with his/her background on screen (like Sony's EyeToy) and then step forward and touch the screen to select different options or move objects. (Source: siggraph.org) In addition, the use of cameras -- the most radical part of the technology -- may in the future be able to transform any transparent surface into an interactive display.

Touchlight: Marketing

Microsoft and EON hope to market the Touchlight to a spectrum of potential commercial users, from office environments to aviation trainees.

Although EON will be doing the bulk of developing for Touchlight's year-end release, Microsoft will be involved in crafting the technology for the first months of its life-cycle. (Source: microsoft-watch.com)

There is no word yet on how the Touchlight will be adapted for home or entertainment purposes, but stay tuned to Infopackets for more on the unfolding details.