Open Source Interface

TouchFinance - An Interactive Multi-Touch Stock Chart!

2008-08-28T19:14:19-05:00

I thought it’s about time I shared with the community a few pictures of what I’ve been building these last few months.

I’ve been building an interactive multi-touch stock chart, it’s quite a big project since it’s for my masers degree dissertation in Computational Finance at the University of Nottingham.

The aim was to build and evaluate a multi-touch interactive chart that has a suite of technical analysis tools which traders can use to analyse financial data. So for example, the user can easily zoom and pan around the chart simply by dragging with their fingers. The user can annotate the chart with various technical analysis indicators, e.g. trend lines and fibbonaci retracement lines.

So that’s what the project is in terms of software… In terms of hardware it consists of:
A FTIR setup comprising of the following layers:
8mm Acrylic, Sorta Clear 40, Vellum and Rosco Gray

In terms of the computer vision stuff, I’m using 40 Siemens SFH485 IR Leds, an Epson EMP-X5 Projector and an Xbox Live Vision Camera with an 850nm Bandpass filter. By the way - Lego is amazing for holding your camera and filter at the right place! (Space Man is Optional)

List of Suppliers:

- 40 x 60cm 8mm Acrylic (£12): Local Supplier (Tip: Go local, you’ll get great service, it’s cheap and they should be able to sand the edges for you)
- Rosco Gray http://www.stage-electrics.co.uk/cat?2410
- Sorta Clear 40 (£40): http://www.bentleychemicals.co.uk/newindex.php?content_id=3&sub_id=34
- Siemens SFH 485’s: http://www.rapidonline.com/searchresults.aspx?style=0&productNo=58-0445%20&kw=&Manucode=&supplierID=All
- Filter, Camera, Vellum: Ebay

Appologies for the blurry pictures at the moment, I still haven’t got round to buying a first surface mirror. I’ll be uploading some clearer pictures and video in the next few weeks, but right now I’ve got to focus on the tedious written part.

So a big thank you to all of you for your posts and information - it’s been a massive help! So I’ll try my best to give a little something back.

Here’s a summary of posts that might be useful if you haven’t started yet…

Sorta Clear 40 Tips: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/2381/
Rosco vs Vellum vs SketchPaper Comparison: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/2845/
Adding Tangible Controls via WiiMote: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/2533/
A List of Free University Electronics Webcasts: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/2145/

Dual IR Laser, Firefly MV, TouchLib running @ 112fps + TouchLib Speed/CPU Fix !!! UPDATED

2008-06-14T03:24:31-05:00

Today I got the Firefly MV B/W camera from PGR. I also added second IR laser to my original setup. This eliminates finger occlusions that were present in my previous single laser setup.
I took some videos of this setup running demo apps, so I thought I showcase it here.

The TouchLib was modified (for fast blob processing) so that now runs synchronously to the camera capture rate. It also outputs current blob processing frame rate.

Here is the OSC app:

[googlevideo]-5059293264619248728[/googlevideo]

Here is the Fire demo:

[googlevideo]2348669027396447486[/googlevideo]

Here is the Photo app:

[googlevideo]-1747600458004604776[/googlevideo]

Here is the Wall Pong app:

[googlevideo]-692544185400839778[/googlevideo]

Here is the Puzzle app:

[googlevideo]8343784745267196229[/googlevideo]

Here is the Ripples app:

[googlevideo]686613493997414596[/googlevideo]

Here is the Smoke app:

[googlevideo]6317399209163209321[/googlevideo]

*** UPDATED ***

Dual IR laser blobs (camera view):

[googlevideo]6294265824056008069[/googlevideo]

Calibration process (here I use ROI feature of the Firefly MV camera @ 320x240 frame size):

[googlevideo]1621744246761173994[/googlevideo]

Many of you asked about my version of TouchLib with speed/CPU fix shown above. You can get it below and test it for yourself. Please note that I am using DSVideoLib as the input capture filter. The library was tested and it functions properly with this filter only. With other filters (such as VideoWrapper) the CPU usage may be very high, so please use it at your own risk.

Enjoy!

~Alex

Progen’s LLP Table

2008-08-26T12:30:42-05:00

Our MT Table is almost done! We built it based on the LLP technique. Here are a couple of pics and a short reel of our MT Table:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf1dyiMeb4I[/youtube]

More details to follow soon!

Soybomb’s FTIR table

2008-08-25T13:07:20-05:00

Thank you NUI community!!!

My first table is completed (aside from some finishing touches and parts upgrades down the road)!

I plan on using this table to develop apps. I want to get a mac for it eventually. I’ve been trying to experiment with other trackers like Reactivision and Touchkit but haven’t been able to get them setup exactly right. But I will continue to try. See my blog for more info: http://multitouchproject.blogspot.com/

Here’s the current setup:
- emachine Celeron D running XP
- 512mb ram
- nVidia 8400GS pci-e video card
- CF-2000 firewire camera
- SortaClear
- 24 x 36 acrylic
- Rosco grey is the top surface right now
- Tracing paper from walmart btwn Rosco and Silicone
- InFocus LP130 dlp projector
- Front surface mirror (still doesn’t get rid of the ghosting)
- A small audio amp from ebay to run some small sony speakers from the early 90’s that are mounted on the sides
- SFH 4350 leds (3mm infrared oshrams)

A lot of the stuff in this video is just mousedriver demos, but there’s the usual stuff in there too. It’s a long video, and you may want to let it buffer for a little while before attempting to watch it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se0Ywke0hok[/youtube]

My rear DI multitouch table project

2008-06-02T03:42:28-05:00

Hey there, I’ve been working on a multitouch table now and it’s getting closer and closer to the end
Thought I would put some pics or vids of my setup sometime the next days and let you see, but I have to warn you, I am no expert
I have just read these forums carefully and tried my best. The things I’m missing is the IR emitters and the Projection surface/diffuser.
I’m using normal glass now, but read somewhere that frosted glass is good in a rear DI setup since it keeps the light from the projector to reflect in the glass and let the camera see it. My current setup is going to project a 70cm or about 28” display. Not to big, but I wanted it as a table in my living room so I needed it to be kinda small

My setup is using:
Hitachi CP RX70 - LCD projector Resolution - 1024 x 768 LCD £366.98
http://www.pcwb.com/catalogue/item/HITPR447

Xbox 360 Camera modified without IR filter

Normal, but very thin mirror. (Minimum to none problem with ghosting)

4mm Frosted glass

14 x 0,5W IR emitters. (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4669)

Computer setup is my gaming pc atm:
Core 2 Duo 3Ghz
8800 GTS 640Mb
4Gb Memory
Windows Vista 64bit

Things I’m wondering about:

1) Are these IR emitters good enough?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4669

2) What glass is best and what projection surface/diffuser is good to use.
I live in Norway, where we don’t have any resellers of Rosco Grey, but I may buy it from USA.

uvLayer - Dynamic UI - Ready for MultiTouch?

2008-08-27T08:10:49-05:00

Greetings NUI Group -

Would like to introduce uvLayer - our dynamic, flash, drag and drop UI for multimedia. Try to search, play, collect, lasso, share, etc..

WEB: http://www.uvlayer.com
AIR : http://www.uvlayer.com/download.html

While we are not optimized for Multitouch today, we are moving in that direction.

Any feedback or suggestions on working with us?

Thanks in advance,

Michael

Direct feedback can be set to feedback at uvlayer.com

Multi-touch search : http://www.uvlayer.com?videoIds=0h_OO4Gz28c,zQRYK9Ee-Fw,uaNcgY0ExyY,7cdcHWpSrAw,12vFpBhWaVM,ojzgwzU8T7g,wh1Qy6OvI1A,MXXRq9uSo08,GqDQ0wUcSPQ

NUI Group search : http://www.uvlayer.com?videoIds=eBdzBtwIPDo,kH5U0xzhLNA,SQROToTUPIE,xc4P4CsTZsk,HMlNcC45hmc,hA97k0n1TYo,7VLHbxIFDI0,0D05oQlPV7A,v9BX7HeDjEo

http://www.uvlayer.com?videoIds=KfsWPHycogs,zXWMAKXTwP4,Thwq6dd6d8A,K9-nvqSes0g,F-m20I0FpiU,fwjAXFb5Hko,BRKqXEODO_k,hiFB7F0j_lo,7iAyC1vyJ44

Gw’s LLP Updated Rig Video

2008-07-28T15:37:15-05:00

This is an update on my new LLP setup.

24"x36"x1/2" Acrylic
(2) AlexP 850nm 10mW lasers (+5V from Computer PSU)
Rosco Grey
Simple Wood Vertical Stand
Optoma HD70 DLP 720p Projector
PGR FireFly MV
Thorlabs 850nm +/- 40nm bandpass filter

Preview video of the setup:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDVSEP5wd54[/youtube]

Wanted to give a quick thank you to all the contributors for all the great apps to try out, cannot wait to develop and post my own!

Coming Soon: Apps, a much larger rig (70-100” if possible), demo videos

Natural User Interface (NUI) launched new website today

2008-08-22T07:54:28-05:00

http://www.natural-ui.com

Touch Table (Mac Rear DI)

2008-08-21T21:47:35-05:00

Okay so I decided to build my rear DI table. I’m using ssandler.wordpress.com’s audio touch design because I find that the most efficient of the designs. I will try my hardest to get even illumination around the screen. My goal is to make it as much as Microsoft Surface as possible (although I know there is no way it will be quite as good). So here is the progress so far:
------------------

My birch wood, and my projector I got today.

This is the exact camera I will be using.. god knows how I will be able to get this open. Apple generally makes their products near impossible to get into.

My Multitouch Table

2008-08-21T03:35:47-05:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v6d_Fm2hog[/youtube]
Tables high 780 mm, the display screen 40-inch