The Microsoft’s campus is a great facility with over 100 buildings scattered around in 261 acres of land. Every building has numbers on it. The Microsoft Visitor Center, for instance, is in Building 127, north campus, while the Microsoft Conference Center is in Building 33. From all of those buildings, there is one building which is not numbered; this building is decided to be off campus. In that building, Microsoft has quietly been developing the first completely new computing platform since the PC — a project that was given the internal code name Milan.
The product behind the Milan project is called the Microsoft Surface.
History
In 2001, Stevie Bathiche of Microsoft Hardware and Andy Wilson of Microsoft Research began working together on various projects that took advantage of their corresponding expertise in the areas of hardware and software. In one of their regular brainstorm sessions, they started talking about an idea for an interactive table that could understand the operation of physical contact. Although there were similar effort that been happening in academia, Bathiche and Wilson saw the importance for a product that can intercat with richer and more sensitive, and at the same time useful for everyone to use. This conversation was the beginning of an idea that would later result in the development of Surface, and over the course of the following year, various people at Microsoft involved in developing new product concepts, continued to think through the possibilities and feasibility of the project. Then in October 2001 a virtual team was formed to fully support that brings the idea to the next stage of development; Bathiche and Wilson were key members of the team.
In early 2003, the new Consumer Products Group, led by David Kurlander, brought the idea to Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman, in a group review. Gates immediately liked the idea and encouraged the team to continue to develop and expand their thinking. The virtual team expanded, and within a month, through constant discussion and brainstorming, the first unperfected prototype was born and nicknamed T1. The model was based on an IKEA table with a hole cut in the top and a sheet of architect vellum used as a diffuser.
The evolution of Surface had begun. A variety of early applications were also built, including pinball, a photo browser and a video puzzle. As more applications were developed, the team saw the opportunity of the surface computer not just for simply gaming but also the applications that took advantage of the unique ability of Surface to recognize physical objects placed on the table. The team was also beginning to realize that surface computing could be applied to a number of different design and form factors. Over the next year, the team grew a lot, including Nigel Keam that joined, that begin with software development lead and later architect for Surface, who was part of the development team that eventually tasked with taking the product from prototype to a shipping product. Surface prototypes, functionality and applications were continually refined. More than 85 early prototypes were built for use by software developers, hardware developers and user researchers.
One of the key attributes of Surface is that it can recognize the object and the ability of objects placed on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content. This feature went through lot of rounds of testing and refining. The team explored various tag formats of all shapes and sizes before landing on the domino tag (used today) which is an 8-bit, three-quarter-inch-square tag that is optimal thanks to its small size.
At the same time, the original plan of using a single camera in the vision system wasn’t reliable. After exploring a variety of options, including camera placement and different camera lens sizes, it was decided that Surface would use five cameras that would more accurately detect natural movements and gestures from the surface.
What importance has the technology got on improving a human’s lifestyle?
Surface computing is a major advancement that moves beyond the traditional user interface to a more natural way of interacting with digital content. Microsoft Surface, Microsoft Corp.’s first commercially available surface computer breaks down the traditional barriers between people and technology to provide effortless interaction with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects instead of a mouse and keyboard.
Microsoft Surface could be the place for transaction. We do not need people to do our money managing anymore. This also could be the place to advertise our product in our office or company. We don’t need papers or picture in the format of paper, but we simply put our design and product on the computer. And because it does not need mouse or keyboard, it will be easier to operate.
It also can be a restaurant table which the menu is listed on the table and we can simply order by choosing it from the table and the waiter can bring our order in no time. We also could pay the bill by simply put our credit card or whatever on the table and the table will recognize it and we just can simply drag our bill to the credit card and the bill will simply goes to our bank account.
Imagine if we went to a skateboard or customizable sport gear store and there is more than hundreds skateboards that we could choose and it difficult to choose which one of them that we want and we could hardly think how we could personalize and customize those skateboards. But with the Microsoft surface computer we could simply choose a plain board and we could customize it. So what we do is we could simply go the board on the wall and took a card from the price tag which has optical tag on the back and the optical tag is recognized by the Microsoft surface and when we place it down, that skateboard is brought to life by the surface. The 3D skateboard will appear on the surface which we could touch and flip around and easily modify it.
Working System and Components
Components
(1) Screen: A diffuser turns the Surface's acrylic tabletop into a large horizontal "multi-touch" screen, capable of processing multiple inputs from multiple users. The Surface can also recognize objects by their shapes or by reading coded "domino" tags.
(2) Infrared: Surface's "machine vision" operates in the near-infrared spectrum, using an 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source aimed at the screen. When objects touch the tabletop, the light reflects back and is picked up by multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1280 x 960.
(3) CPU: Surface uses many of the same components found in everyday desktop computers — a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card. Wireless communication with devices on the surface is handled using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas (future versions may incorporate RFID or Near Field Communications). The underlying operating system is a modified version of Microsoft Vista.
(4) Projector: Microsoft's Surface uses the same DLP light engine found in many rear-projection HDTVs. The footprint of the visible light screen, at 1024 x 768 pixels, is actually smaller than the invisible overlapping infrared projection to allow for better recognition at the edges of the screen.
How does Microsoft Surface work?
Microsoft Surface uses cameras to sense objects, hand movement and touch. This user input is then processed and displayed using rear projection. Specifically:
• Microsoft Surface uses a rear projection system which displays an image onto the underside of a thin diffuser.
• Objects such as fingers are visible through the diffuser by series of infrared–sensitive cameras, positioned underneath the display.
• An image processing system processes the camera images to detect fingers, custom tags and other objects such as paint brushes when touching the display.
• The objects recognized with this system are reported to applications running in the computer so that they can react to object shapes, 2D tags, movement and touch.
The Special features of the Microsoft Surface are:
• Direct Interaction: Users can actually "grab" digital information with their hands - interacting with content by touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.
• Multi–Touch: Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger like with a typical touch–screen, but up to dozens of items at once.
• Multi–User: The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around Microsoft Surface together, providing a collaborative, face–to–face computing experience.
• Object Recognition: Users can place physical objects on the display to trigger different types of digital responses; in the future, this will include the ability to transfer digital content.
Technology Development
As I said earlier, the idea was brought by Stevie Batchie and Andy Wilson. They want to create an interactive table that could understand and interact with physical contact. The touch screen has been developed but it has not developed to take multiple inputs at the same time. Even though the iPhone already have the ability to take multiple inputs, the design of an iPhone is small and it’s just for personal purposes. But, with the Microsoft Surface with in a form of a table, it could be used by many user and intender for public purposes.
Some people might say “this technology is old” because iPhone is released before it. But the idea and the developing of this Microsoft surface had been going from 2001. And have been going secretly until it reveals itself on the public.
Limitations
Microsoft Surface is an interactive table and it is the major limitation. The table form, the limitation is that we cannot take it everywhere. It is also could not be used as personal computer, as I said earlier its table form is the limitation. You could not work hours leaning on a table because it is bad for your backbone and your neck.
Suitable Use
Microsoft surface would be really appropriate and effective if it used in stores, bars, and restaurants. Its table that could hold up to 100kg and water-resistant will become a nice dining table. Its wireless connection could be connected to the main computer in the kitchen or cashier of a restaurant so that you could order your food or drinks just by selecting the menu on the table.
How much?
Currently Microsoft Surface is not available for individual consumer purchase. However, Microsoft Surface is being marketed and sold to large-scale leisure, entertainment and retail companies in the U.S. and people will be able to experience Microsoft Surface in public locations. A commercial Microsoft Surface unit is $12,500 (unit only), whereas a developer Microsoft Surface units costs $15,000 and includes a developer unit, five seats and support.
Developing Countries, can they afford it?
I don’t think developing countries have equal access to it. And it has not been sold outside America. The high price that it have become the highest factor
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