Turn any flat surface into a touchscreen?

Talk at this week's CES extravaganza in Las Vegas has focused on 3D, tablet computers and Google's Nexus One 'superphone' - even though that wasn't actually unveiled at the tech show.But perhaps one of the most impressive launches has come from a

Talk at this week's CES extravaganza in Las Vegas has focused on 3D, tablet computers and Google's Nexus One 'superphone' - even though that wasn't actually unveiled at the tech show.

But perhaps one of the most impressive launches has come from a UK-based company, who unveiled a projector-based technology that can turn any flat surface into an interactive touchscreen.

Light Blue Optics, based in Cambridge, says that Light Touch can, "Not only frees multimedia content from the confines of the small screen, but also lets users interact with that content in the same way as they expect to on their other hand-held devices."

It uses LBO's proprietary holographic laser projection technology and an infra-red touch sensing system to create a virtual 10" touchscreen display. The device also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity to enable device to device communication and Internet access.

Light Touch has 2GB of on-board storage with a Micro SD card slot that supports up to 32GB. Its battery life is a slightly disappointing 2 hours but it also runs off a mains supply.

"At LBO, we believe that today's consumer is no longer a passive viewer of multimedia content," said LBO's CEO Chris Harris. "People expect to engage, interact and share content and our first product enables them to do that in new and exciting ways. The opportunities for Light Touch extend beyond consumer electronics into retail spaces, the workplace and the home - profoundly changing the way people interact with multimedia content and the built environment."

The device will not initially be released commercially and the company says that Light Touch is a reference product only, which will be made available to key customers and partners.

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