‘A Touch Screen Display for any surface’, the title of the article stated in bold print as I turned the newspaper to the pages related to scientific innovations. What came to my mind first on reading the words ‘touch screen’ was that if Steve Jobs, the man behind the touch system, had been defeated by cancer, how could there be any worthy discoveries in the touch system?

On reading the article further I discovered that this development was by Microsoft and not by Apple. It is a new portable machine called Omnitouch, which can project an easily usable touch screen on any surface you can touch. Of course it can project a screen on anything, but if you cannot touch it, there is no point in making it a touch screen.

Omnitouch employs a depth-sensing camera, similar to the Microsoft Kinect made to track the users’ fingers on everyday surfaces. The genius behind this invention is Chris Harrison, who was an intern at Microsoft Research when he created Omnitouch. This creation is very light and portable, about the size of a matchbox. All you have to do is wear it on your shoulder, turn it on, and choose whether your smart-phone is a closet, chair, your hand or even a sandwich.

According to me, this is the best idea ever in the touch world. Also, Harrison states that once this goes to the shops, the price will be much lower than the iPhone or iPad. Since you can make any solid object a touch screen now, there is no need to waste money on a touch screen. This might soon become the fashion and people will roam around an Omnitouch on their shoulders.

This news related to touch screen was very touching for me. Since now touching anything is reasonable. Just make sure not to make a busy road a touch screen or else bear a thousand humans accessing your information.