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September 8, 2007

TouchTable gets picked up by the Federal Aviation Administration

by Dhiram Shah

It’s not the Microsoft Surface and it’s neither the ROSIE Table Touchpanel Controller for Mac fans. This time around it’s the TouchTable designed by Northrop Grumman that’s making the news. Northrop Grumman is best known for missile systems and other military gear for many years has been selling the similar TouchTable as part of what it calls an “integrated collaboration environment.” They delivered their TouchTable to the Federal Aviation Administration last month and will showcase their technologies next week at a defense conference in London. For those still not cued in, the TouchTable is a projection display with a touch-sensitive screen. The ICE setup taps into satellite imagery and combines that with maps and other data sources.
(Video after the jump)

The FAA plans to install the TouchTable in its Cyber Security Incident Response Center. This would let security staff control CAD images of a building where a cyber “event” is happening or access relevant data through a live feed from a security system, according to Northrop Grumman. There are two versions of the TouchTable; one with an 84-inch screen (1600×1200 resolution), the other with a 45-inch screen (1920×1080 resolution). The 84″ system includes dual external displays. The technology was created by the Los Angeles-area design firm Applied Minds, and it’s marketed by Pasadena, Calif.-based company TouchTable. The FAA plans to install the table tech in its Cyber Security Incident Response Center.
Full release
TouchTable
Whether analyzing urban sprawl, terrorist threats, evacuation routes or mission operations, the way we think about and interact with information is changing. Analysts, planners and tactical personnel need to be able to visualize areas of interest while maintaining ready access to data sources. This, combined with the growing need for timely cooperation, calls for innovative approaches to visualization and collaboration. Northrop Grumman offers the systems and platforms to meet this demand.
Intuitive Interface
Created and provided by Applied Minds Inc., the TouchTable is an easy to use display device that detects the location and movement of users’ hands on its surface to dynamically change a projected image in real-time. Moving a hand across the surface pans the display, two fingers moving apart zooms it out, and two fingers moving together zooms it in. This simple interface allows users to easily change a view from miles above the Earth to a detailed layout of a single city block. Touching a single point on the surface brings up detailed information about that point. With this advanced functionality and ease of operation, the TouchTable allows users to concentrate on the mission, rather than on how to manipulate the display.
Maximizing Collaboration
Multiple users can collaborate around the TouchTable’s large, horizontal surface and high-fidelity display, which facilitates viewing and manipulating complex data that cannot be easily displayed on standard computers. When used with the TouchShareTM software modules, multiple TouchTables and other computing devices can be connected to one another, allowing synchronized navigation by geographically distributed groups. This also enables mobile teams to view and quickly assimilate information, leveraging the knowledge base of the extended collaborative team, regardless of location.
Enabling Solutions
The TouchTable product family is a robust suite of solutions that can be applied to missions ranging from intelligence analysis and strategic planning to tactical operations management and emergency response. Combining the power of seamless distance collaboration with the ability to visualize complex information and an easy-to-use interface, the TouchTable delivers essential capabilities for addressing real-world challenges.
TT84 TouchTable Immersive Collaboration System
* 84” diagonal display
* 1600 x 1200 native resolution
* Dual external displays
* Large-format display supports group collaboration
* High-resolution display facilitates viewing complex imagery and data sets
* Pressure sensitive surface allows multiple methods of information interaction
TT45 TouchTable Convertible Immersive Collaboration System
* 45” diagonal display
* 1920 x 1080 pixel native resolution
* Designed for mobile applications
* Articulating stand supports horizontal, vertical and draft table modes
* Supports multiple external displays
TouchShare Software Framework
* Navigation (zoom, pan, rotate, history recall)
* Network-based collaboration
* Network-based drawing tools
* Annotation tools
* Open architecture – allows integration of most PC-based software products
* Runs on multiple platforms
* Custom menus orient to all sides of the display