Why tarry for Apple to carry a touchscreen scribbling when you can build your own?

That’s the concept behind Berkeley pupil Yotam Mann’s do-it-yourself multitouch tuneful implement, which desire be exhibited at this weekend’s Maker Faire in San Mateo. A contrivance of optical lasers, a webcam and some practice software, Mann’s homemade multitouch exterior can scarcely contend with Apple ’s super plan , but it’s an simple, cheap route to survey your inner geek.

Mann’s show desire be single of more than 600 exhibits at the impartial, including do-it-yourself projects, hacks, mods and other strange technological spectacles. With 80,000 attendees expected this year, Maker Faire is a rare occurrence where the biggest nerds regulation as prince — or maybe combination envoy, galactic emperor, or president of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol.

“You obtain these ethereal synth cushion sounds,” Mann said of his multitouch implement. “It’s kind of this sci-fi woo-oo-oo-oo.”

Contrivance Lab Goes to Maker Faire

Abundance desire probable swoon at the eyesight of Mann’s multitouch exterior after the phenomenally favorite iPhone brought multitouch screens to the mainstream. His project’s setup is completely uncomplicated. In summarization, you mount two laser modules on the invest in corners of the labour exterior, opposite each other at 45 degrees. Then, you instal a webcam in a posture where it can outlook the complete exterior. After that, you sprint Mann’s software, which he coded in Max-MSP (a ornate visual programming speech, on your computer , and go after the on-screen directions.

Mann’s software includes single audio app. Using it you can manage the lasers with your hands to make sounds ranging from foreign noises to flute-like intonations. Bending your digit be changes toss, and the amount depends on your hands’ remoteness from the surface.

Entirely, this proposal won’t price much — assuming you already own a computer . The lasers and webcam combined can price as small as $40, Mann said.

The pupil, who is majoring in music and minoring in computer body of knowledge, admits his contrivance isn’t truthfully multitouch: At some points on the exterior single digit be strength piece another from being detected near the lasers. But then again, a accurate multitouch scribbling would be afar more costly to make, and DIY projects like these are designed in the main to learn round technology while having some fun.

At Maker Faire, Mann desire be showing interested attendees how he built the contrivance and sacrifice liberated access to his code.

“It’s positively an open-source concept,” Mann said of his multitouch exterior. “For me it’s a tuneful implement, but I’d like for people to observe what applications they can obtain outside of it.”

Observe a video of Mann’s multitouch exterior below.

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Photo: Yotam Mann