Thursday, 09 December 2010 10:01
The combination of a multi-touch screen (Microsoft's Surface type) and HD videoconferencing has led to an innovative project that allows interactive remote collaboration in cultural applications, mainly, but with the possibility of extending its use to other areas. The project has been called C3i2, it is a prototype, and opens many possibilities to other types of applications (museums, teaching, entertainment, health, etc.).
The idea has been developed by several entities: Technotrends, the GTI department (Interactive Technologies Group) of the Universistat Pompeu Fabra, the Centre D'Innovació en Productivitat of Microsoft, Transversal "Xarxa d'Activitats Culturals", i Barcelona Digital Centre Tecnològic, at the headquarters of which the C3i2 project was presented, named for the sum of the three "C" of Culture + Communication + Collaboration and the two "I" of Interactivity + Innovation.
The project combines two existing systems on the market, the multi-touch screen and the videoconferencing system, -two flat screens joined at an angle of 90%- with software and hardware of own development that allow visual and tactile collaboration, and the interaction of several users who may be in different locations. In fact, during the presentation, demonstrations were made in real time between two teams located one on the fifth floor of the Media-TIC building, the venue of the event, and the other at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Thus, we could see the possibilities of remote collaboration with visual interaction of both video and voice, and of sharing digital content in real time, thanks to the multi-touch screen of high capacity and high response speed. In fact, the screen has 32 simultaneous points that can be activated with the participation of several users on the same computer, very quickly. In addition, the built-in camera is high definition, so that you can see the users located on the other computer and you can also hear them, with an Internet connection.
As was made clear during the presentation, the C3i2 project is already a reality, the technology is already available, it is a starting point, and what is now needed is to develop the idea and find the many applications it can have in the real world, as has already been demonstrated in the cultural field. At the moment, the feed-back they are receiving from users who are already using it is very positive.
www.ttrends.es
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