Music fans can rock out with virtual guitars on an interactive wall, thanks to a touch-screen technology that Jeff Han tinkered with. Most touch- screens, such as the ones at airport check-in kiosks, allow only one finger touch at a time. But Han’s large, multitouch screens can be activated by touching or sweeping several fingertips across the surface. Users can slide digital photos around as if they were prints on a desk, and several people can edit different photos at the same time. Han, a consulting research scientist at New York University, studied computer science and electrical engineering — subjects that helped him develop technology that lets many people collaborate.

Photo by Amy Guip

Watch this cool video on multi-touch technology:

Filed under: Computer, Materials, Trailblazers

Tags: Computer, Materials, Technology