3M Debuts 10-finger Multitouch Display

By Dena Cassella January 5, 2010

3M is once again pushing the boundaries of conventional technology with its new multi-touch LCD display. The 3M Display M2256PW is a 22-inch high definition display that’s designed for professional and consumer applications that need up to 10-finger touch input or multi-user interactivity with very fast response time. Most technologies available only support two-finger touch, but 3M says its multi-touch technology supports10-finger touch input and also has advanced gesture capabilities.

The 3M Display M2256PW features a high-definition 1680 x 1050 LCD screen, DVI and VGA video input, audio input, USB and RS232 (serial) dual-mode communication protocol and durable, anti-glare front surface. 3M will be showing off some conceptual applications for this multi-touch platform during CES this week.

“Over the past six months software developers from around the world have been working with the 3M multi-touch platform to develop exciting concepts for multi-touch applications,” says Chris Tsourides, business unit manager, 3M Touch Systems.

3M says its M2256PW display is “compatible with Windows 7,” meaning you don’t need any third party touch drivers, but as for Linux and Windows XP/Vista operating systems 3M will offer a multi-touch driver and software utility. They will also offer communication protocol documents for those who prefer to develop their own drivers. Additional information is available at http://www.3m.com/multitouch.

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