Surface Computing Product Announced

A forthcoming hardware product, Microsoft Surface, features a display that responds to human gestures and recognizes and interacts with objects placed on it. Initially, Surface appears to be a market test rather than a major new product category: Microsoft is selling it directly to a small number of business customers, building the device itself, and exercising tight control over application development. For “surface computing” to reach CEO Steve Ballmer’s goal of becoming a “multibillion dollar category,” Microsoft will have to open the platform to partners.

Similar to Research Demonstrations

Microsoft Research (MSR), the company’s research lab, has long been interested in surface computing, in which people interact with computers by moving their hands across a touch-sensitive surface. In 2005, MSR demonstrated a surface computing technology called Touchlight, which allows users to change their view of a 3D object by touching the screen. Microsoft eventually licensed this technology under the IP Ventures Program to Eon Reality (which specializes in tools to create visual 3D content).