Microsoft Research demonstrates laptop-compatible multi-touch displays. Can touch this.

The word of 2010 is “multi-touch“. It’s everywhere, be it iPhone or the Microsoft Surface. If you weren’t happy with just one finger touch-sensitive screens, they wanted to put all 10 fingers and some toes on too.

One of the most hyped and best demonstrations of multi-touch technology is probably the TED demonstration by Jeff Han in 2006. I don’t know for sure but his prototype have become the standard for multi-touch gadgets. But if I recall correctly, the iPhone is the only portable device that could reach the desired features without the mighty equipment needed in many other setup such as the Surface. But the flaw is being it`s skin-sensitive only, a problem with big hands who wants to use their nails or specially abled.

The concept of having a multi-touch-capable laptop sounds quite amazing, but indeed no one would want to hang out with a cathode-ray-tube in their bags, so how did one come up with a answer for a screen lesser than an inch thick? Cambridge’s Microsoft Researchers Steve Hodges might have the answer.

His solution is remarkably simple yet aplplicable. With an out-of-box laptop, he redesigned some sensors on the back and together with the magic of software, you have multi-touch!