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How to Make a Cheap Multitouch Pad - Hardware Thread
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Software Thread can be found here: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/1825/
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Multitouch Mini (MTmini) - My Cheap Multitouch Pad

*New* Software - CCV
*New* Mouse Driver for tbeta

*Old Software* Download Getting Started PDF

What’s a MTmini?
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Don’t have a Multitouch Table yet? Have one, but need something smaller for testing? Building a small portable multitouch pad will allow you to test software and experiment on a smaller scale while building your full table or when away from your multitouch screen. Have fun and make a MTmini! This uses Front Diffused Illumination, with normal ambient light (infrared not required or needed) and a normal off-the-shelf webcam (IR filter can still be in place).</div>

-Materials-

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-Cardboard Box
-Piece of Clear Flat Sturdy Material (ie. Glass, acrylic, plexiglas)
-Paper (ie. printer paper, tracing paper, almost any paper)
-Webcam or Video Camera (I use a Philips SPC900NC)
-Computer (dual core recommended, but not needed)
-Optional Picture Frame

Total Cost: $5 - $50</div>

-Finger Tracking Software-

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Get MTmini Package v1 here - Includes Touchlib rev (393), demos and getting started instruction guide.
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-How’s it Work and What Conditions are Necessary?-

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For this to work, all you need is a room with (at least) some light. The results will be best when the room lighting is even (no bright lights shinning from one direction onto the multitouch pad).

When you place you fingers on the surface, shadows are created where your fingers are. The webcam sees these shadows and sends the image to the tracking software which tracks the shadows as they move around. It’s really that simple!</div>

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<center>Please post pictures, videos, comments, and/or improvments. Let’s get a great thread with MTminis going!</center>

HaHa! I did this too… Very cool and cheap! (I even used the picture frame! ) Very well documented and hopefully more people will get involved with these easy tutorials, great stuff Cerupcat!

Haha, thanks Fairlane. That’s funny that you also used a picture frame! I’ve been wanting to make this video for a good 5-6 months. I finally found enough time to make it. If you have any pictures or words of wisdom for others, feel free to share. It’d be nice to get a thread of random pictures of these cheap units.

that’s a damn cool testing idea we can’t wait to build one!

thanx for sharing

Very nice… We also built a similar thing months ago - without the frame, lol.

I was just wondering “-Windows Mousedriver: http://nuigroup.com/touchlib “

Is this part of the beta-version?

Hey entity. Yeah, I first build one without the box about a year ago. It seems a lot of people are doing this, but the general public really doesn’t know how easy something like this is. Hopefully things like this will attract them.

As for the Mousedriver, yes that’s part of the beta. I updated my post to hopefully reflect that.

Really great ! Good job !

The same version + rear illumination would be really great in order to work whatever are the lighting conditions, but of course the price doesn’t remain the same…

I actualy built this and it’s my curent test rig but it’s not a smooth as yours is , I think I need a better camera.

@Vlado: Make sure you’re using the same filters as I am and compare configapp images to mine. You may also need to adjust the camera settings (brightness, contrast, etc). I updated the first post to reflect some of this..

nice idea cerupcat .....
did u shoot the video wen u made this thing for the first time ???

Thx,I will try to make one.

Cerupcat scored one more great goal !!!!
DIY still lead the game !

haha, thanks Jimihertz!

Hey Cerupcat,

This was mine, I dug up the photos and I have to say, your picture frame was a better choice than mine! HaHa

Awesome vid Cerupcat!
At first I was thinking that you used Ir like have done any many others but with the invert filter it couldnt be simpler… I mean, it couldnt be simpler to build. Its a really nice vid and I hope its gonna be as popular as Jonny lee’s one.. I think it will bring a lot of people here!

Really great idea! This diserve two thumbs up!
Chris

if you have a glass or a matte glass desk, you can build a multitouch-pad right into it using this method!

pix:

box taped to the bottom of the desk

top view of the box

if your desk is transparent i imagine you will need a sheet of paper for filtering over the box, mine is matte so it worked right out of the box (so to speak)