Sony is taking on Microsoft Surface with its own solution, the atracTable. The interactive table, which was developed by Sony ISS and atracsys, responds to objects placed on the surface. A report from Pocket-lint says the solution will be available from next month and will target museum and retail applications. Video content demonstrates a prototype model that also analyses body movements.
Sony claims the table can distinguish between male and female users and even work out approximate age and emotions such as happiness, anger, surprise, sadness and neutrality. This will provide retail applications with wide-ranging and detailed diagnostics, which should massively bolster advertising campaigns.
atracTable is the combination of a video-based movements tracking system, a computer, a beamer, and a screen. When an object is placed on the screen, the tracking system recognises it via a visual tracking tag on the base of the product. At the same time, the tracking system detects the positions and movements of the users' fingers and the objects on the screen.
All the information concerning the location of the products and the different movements of the fingers are sent to the computer. The data is processed and sent back to the beamer.
Two Sony ISS XCD-V60 cameras build a 3D image and can be used to control a cursor, avatar or robot.