barcodes
macpos
cameras & tracking
1394 Imaging
have cameras that accept c-mount lenses
ADS
firewire webcam and other hardware
Axis Communications
networked cameras. see especially the 2100 wireless camera.
AEI Components
has teeny video cameras and wireless transmitters
D-Link
various webcams, including a wifi one.
Essential Vision
video delivery hardware, over varying bandwidths. uses neural net software and codecs that can run on cel phones and pdas
Eyegaze
small camera and infrared led that reflects off of your eyeball. it was able to track my eye through my glasses in changing lighting conditions, and by looking at parts of the screen i was able to move the cursor around. the drawback with this system is that you have to keep your head still. developed primarily for the disabled.
Eyetronics
3d scanning software for use with off-the-shelf hardware (pc, camera, slide projector). their liquid faces facial tracking and modeling software is $7,500
Facelab
uses dual cameras to track gaze and head position. $25,000
Firstperson Immersive Video
imagine some video shot from a moving car. now imagine being able to pan around, 360 degrees, while the video is playing back. they use a special panoramic camera to capture, and the demo i saw used a playstation controller for interactivity (but you could use anything). downside of this solution -- they don't sell or rent the equipment, instead doing all the shooting themselves.
Harbortronics
digital camera controllers
Intersense
various 3d tracking and display technologies
IP 9100A Plus Internet Video Server
standalone Internet video server with 4 inputs
IP Kamera 9000A Plus Internet IP Camera
webcam with embedded web server
IQeye
multi-megapixel ip video
IR webcam
complete instructions
Kaidan
many nice panoramic vr items
Ken-a-Vision
has some nice video microscopes
Logitech Orbit
uses mechanical tilt and pan and automatic face tracking.
Lumens
dc80a: xga resolution digital document camera
Minolta laser scanners
Panoscan
panoramic cameras using phaseone and nikon components. complete hardware/software package $28,900 usd
the Proscope
$230 user-friendly usb microscope with interchangeable lenses
Point Grey Research
small, board-level firewire cameras, plus stereoscopic cameras and tracking software.
Roland
makes desktop laser scanners, 3d printers, engravers, milling machines...
Samsung
document camera and presentation system
Scalar Scopes
Smoothware
Director xtras for video tracking
Spheron
panocampanoramic cameras for qtvr, starting at about $10,000
Stark Electronic
small, cheap, weatherproof cameras
3rd Tech
laser scanners and wide-area tracking systems such as the hiball-3000 ($40,000 usd)
Very Nervous System
David Rokeby's pioneering video tracking device, used with opcode max. now available in software as well!
Video by the Pixel
Dan O'Sullivan's Java classes for analysing and processing video pixel by pixel
Visible Solutions
high-speed, high-res, high cost. 1000 pictures per second at 1600x1200!
Unibrain Fire-i camera
small, vga resolution, has handy spring-clip, and many can be daisy-chained together into one computer
Videolabs
flexcam
x10
ready-made home automation gear, including wireless video cameras. good mac compatibility, including applescript
fabrics and flexible switches
CSIRO
smart fabrics
eleksen
Fabric switches, sensors, keyboards
Ill Shoes
with conductive thread and fabrics
International Fashion Machines
IT + Textiles
some projects from the Interactive Institute, Sweden
Paia Electronics
page on soft switches
Softswitch
flexible input devices for wearables
Smart fabric, or washable computing
MIT paper
TactArray sensor
infrared
Banner Engineering
photoelectric sensors
miscellaneous
Affordable Kiosks
sells bill acceptors and other components
Controller design for max/msp/jitter
the Cyberlink
takes a users brain waves and translates them into a mouse or keyboard command.
Essential Reality P5
$150 glove-like game game controller
Happ Controls
industrial-strength trackballs, buttons and more
Infogrip
assistive technology & ergonomic products
Griffin Powermate
is a programmable usb button/knob. Alternatives: iMon, Elma E20, various optical encoders from Digikey. Here are a couple of cool projects made with multiple Powermates.
Hagstrom Keyboard Encoder and Trackball Interface
turns 36 switches into keystrokes
Pyramat
inexpensive rumble mat with speakers, meant for games
Supreme-Exim
push buttons
Tactex Controls
makers of "smart fabric," a pressure-sensitive touchpad with an embedded fiber optic grid. it can detect more than one input at a time.
Traxsys
big buttons, trackballs, other input devices intended for the learning-disabled.
Ultimarc
game controls and interfaces
Wild Planet
kids' toys could be the source of inexpensive input devices
Xilor conductive rubber mats
research
Agfa/Belgium
has developed a thin organic film which is stretchable and can be used as transparent electrodes such as touchscreens; and it can incorporate electro-luminescent lighting, making possible flexible, lit input devices.
Block Jam
lego-like blocks with an led grid, a button, and a dial on top. they are placed on a tabletop in different configurations to change music. (siggraph 2002)
Holotouch
has patented a method of interacting with a display which floats in mid-air.
Smartskin: an infrastructure for freehand manipulation on interactive surfaces
capacitive sensing to make any surface touch sensitive
sensors
Absolute Encoders
rotary encoders
Acroname
various ir, uv and sonar sensors
Analog Devices
fantastic manufacturer of sensors.
Campbell Scientific
various data logging devices
Crossbow Technology
wireless sensor networks
CTS Corp.
piezoelectrics
DrDAQ
Multi-sensor datalogger
the Electronic Goldmine
various inexpensive gadgets & components
Elmwood Sensors
lcd heaters and various sensors
emfit L series
surface sensors
Imagiworks
science experiments and test equipment for palm. the imagiprobe system is designed for kids, so it's easy to use, but is also expandable, and you can add custom sensors.
the Keyless Lock Store
various electronic entry systems
LEDs as sensors
a paper from MERL
Mark III Robot Store
sells various types of sensors
Microsensors
they make a nice, small gyroscope
Optical encoders
Quantum Research Group
nice touch sliders
Rentron
accessories for PIC and Stamp, including RF transmitters
Rochester Electronics
"leaders on the trailing edge of technology"specializing in discontinued parts.
Sensors Magazine
SensorWiki
Signalquest
tilt, vibration, accelerometers, "inclinometers"
SpaceAge Control
yo yo pots, string encoders, position sensors
Supercircuits
lots of tiny video cameras
Switches
an introduction
Taos Inc
Optical sensors
wherenet
"has developed a system of matchbox-sized wireless tags and readers that allow objects to be located within about 3m making it much easier to keep track of them." -- john thackara, in this article.
Wondermagnet
for all your magnetic needs.
Xsilogy
mems a-to-d sensors with wireless communication
sonar
Devantech SRF04 Ranger
touchscreens
Cirque hidden touch surface
flexible sensor array goes behind nonconductive materials
CPFilms inc.
coatings for finger- or pen-based touch panels
Cybertouch
industrial and specialty touchscreens
DIY touchpanels
thanks Sasha Harris-Cronin
E-Touch (taiwan)
ELO Touchsystems (worldwide)
inexpensive, experienced, and reliable. i have used them in several projects.
Generaltouch
Hong Kong Membrane
touch panel components, as well as rubber keypads & membrane keypads
Huangze (china)
MagicTouch
sells frameless overlays for desktops and laptops
Mitsubishi Diamondtouch technology (uist 2001)
MKS
touch panel components, as well as rubber keypads & membrane keypads
Smartboard
giant touchscreens
SMK
touch panel components
Synaptics
clearpad and other input technologies
Trans-Touch (taiwan)
Troll Touch
for mac and pc
Winkle
touch panel components
giant touchscreens (thanks sasha harris-cronin!)
Cleverboard
92"
Webster
78", 104"
Displaymate
(they make custom sizes, too...)
most of these also have a rear projected version, though they tend to do it as an integrated unit (a la projection tv).
wireless
Gyration
gyromouse wireless gyroscopic mouse
Naturalpoint
turnkey infrared unit tracks a dot, ring or wand
Wireless Computing
makes a nice wireless touchpad, the surfmouse
Kevin Walker
|