Making a Projector Interactive (retroactively)

[sonofsanta]

This is one of those frustrating coincedences of timing that haunt me.

 

Back around Easter the incumbent Drama teacher asked if we could install a projector and big screen in the main Drama room to be used as a backdrop for productions, along with a fat (phat) pair of speakers. KPMS did us a lovely job of hooking up a short throw projector on the lighting rig and a 2m pull down screen that's already been used in some brilliant productions.

 

Last term they finally got round to interviewing for the permanent position and, for better or for worse, the current teacher didn't get it and we have a new head of drama coming in. She's asked about having an interactive whiteboard as she likes teaching with them.

 

Where the current projector is aiming is no use for fitting a smartboard as there are too many pipes & pillars in the way, and the image would be too big anyway given that the projector was chosen to give us the massive 2m image. The pull down screen can't move either as it's where it needs to be to act as a backdrop. I'm very reluctant to spend another £2k fitting an ultra-short throw above a smartboard on another wall as that's half my annual projector budget and there are plenty of other departments needing new/replacement kit, and with this room having just been fitted with exciting new kit it strikes me as rather unfair that it gets another bite of the apple within 6 months when other rooms are making do with godawful projectors or none at all.

 

So answer me this: how can I make the existing pull-down screen & projector combo interactive in the manner of a smartboard? Is there a way of fitting said functionality retroactively?

[plexer]

Tablet?

 

Ben

[plexer]

SMART Podium interactive pen display - SMART Technologies

 

SMART Slate wireless slate - SMART Technologies

 

Ben

[sonofsanta]

Tablet?

 

Ben

 

Is that pronounced "Pandora's Box"? not got any tablets here yet, and I expect that as soon as one person gets one, everyone will want one...

 

I've thought about Wiimote hacks and the like but they're a different interaction than a smartboard, really.

Edited July 3, 2012 by sonofsanta

[sonofsanta]

SMART Podium interactive pen display - SMART Technologies

 

SMART Slate wireless slate - SMART Technologies

 

Ben

 

Now those are intriguing, particularly as they'll just use the SMART software that people are used to...

 

Fake edit: but good lord those podiums aren't cheap are they? The larger one is >£2.5k from what I can find

[Chris_]

SMART Podium interactive pen display - SMART Technologies

 

SMART Slate wireless slate - SMART Technologies

 

Ben

 

I'd recommend this route also, Promethean do a similar thing also (Promethean World - Interactive Displays : ActivPanel). I guess you could just use a regular touchscreen and connect it to the computer?

Edited July 3, 2012 by Chris_

[plexer]

I guess it's a case of adding an "interactive" panel which will work with the smartboard software even something like a wacom tablet.

 

Ben

[steveg]

How about using po-motion and a webcam? no idea how well it works though, only used it for an interactive floor before.

 

Steve

[plexer]

If they want smartboard type functionality I'm guessing it's going to have to be one of their "tablet" products or a pc or windows tablet with a licence running the smartboard software.

 

Alternatively something cheap like papershow gives whiteboard type functioality.

 

Ben

[EvLPhenom]

SMART Podium interactive pen display - SMART Technologies

 

SMART Slate wireless slate - SMART Technologies

 

Ben

 

We have a podium setup in our main hall for making the dropdown screen interactive, it is a great peice of kit, very accurate and works well with the smartboard software. Never had a problem with ours just plugs into the PC via usb and is used as a display.

[sonofsanta]

How about using po-motion and a webcam? no idea how well it works though, only used it for an interactive floor before.

 

Steve

 

Had a quick google inbetween fun with Win7 testing - would that just be a case of setting up a webcam/kinect pointing at the screen and setting up some software to work with powerpoint and an on-screen pen? Looks like the kind of thing I had in mind, something that looks at the screen and pretends it's interactive.

[NDW]

How about using ebeam software its interactive and now you can log onto it via a tablet and control it from there - although you wont be able to controll the projected image you can still control what is going on in the ebeam software.. failing that a smart or promethean slate would do the job.

[rdk]

Use an iPad & Apple TV. Stick the Apple TV on the wall and connect to the projector via HDMI, then Airplay/mirror the iPad onto the projector via the Apple TV. The iPad & Apple TV have to be on the same wireless network.