Travel guide pioneer Lonely Planet have given Microsoft the go-ahead to licence their name in a proof of concept application that is likely to give budding travellers a more interactive and informatio- rich way of planning their next travel destination.
Utilising the latest in touch technology, Microsoft have given Lonely Planet early honours of being the first company in Australia to publicly demonstrate a viable use for the cutting edge touch technology.
Surface operates via five cameras poised around a coffee table sized screen. Each of the cameras picks up Infra-red and ultra violet light, making it the perfect multimedia device for spinning, rotating and interacting with physical objects on the Surface desktop.
In preparation for a new Lonely Planet store opening at the Sydney Airport next month, Microsoft came up with the idea to offer a virtual content store for every Lonely Planet travel guide in stock.
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| Microsoft Surface with the Lonely Planet application makes browing for new titles a multimedia experience |
How it works
While still a proof of concept, it's thought that customers would be able to take any travel guide off the shelf and place it on the Surface table. Every booked is 'tagged' with the use of tiny dots that are read by the multiple light sources on Surface.
The dots are easy to replicate and simple to create with no special technology needed outside of a normal printer.
When a tagged book is placed on Surface, a treasure trove of rich multimedia data would show up on the screen. It allows for multiple angles and multiple customers to access different books at the same time on the one screen.
Surface is angle specific, so you don't have to look at from any particular vantage point. But it does need to be in the right part of the room: sunlight and artificial ceiling lights do throw it off a little and limit the ability of touch to read visual instructions.
Video, maps and travel tips are just a few of the examples that would likely pop up when the book is placed on the Surface table. Social content such as Twitter, weather and web cams can also be added we're told, while videos, photos and music that be accessed with a few finger strokes.
Thankfully, the touch part is intuitive and extremely fast. However, some web related applications could be limited by your internet connection speed.
Surface is so rugged, we were told that you could literally pour a coffee or a drink over the screen and it would still function without problem. And that very ruggedness already has Microsoft developers excited.
In the future, we might eventually see Surface in pubs and clubs across the city; reading the tags on a beer glass that informs you about the type of beer you are drinking at your table.
Surface is currently available in over 16 countries, but we may have to wait a little longer before the Surface pokie table becomes a reality at the local RSL.
Check out our exclusive photo gallery of Surface in action here