100″ Multitouch Table – EM Spectrum Exhibit

Posted by Jee Yeon Hwang

The 100″ multitouch table, multiuser exhibit table, is developed by Ideum with Adventure Science Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The exhibit is part of a large gallery space at the museum which focuses on astronomy.

The table consists of a surface, two computers, and projects. The contagious surface enables users to interact with the same program at the same time.

The 100″ surface (an 86″ viewable area) is one of the largest contiguous multitouch tables ever developed. The screen has a 16 x 5 ratio aspect and a 2304 x 800 pixel, high-resolution screen.

The exhibit table explores the electromagnetic spectrum. The extended aspect ratio mimics the spectrum itself, from radio waves to gamma rays. Users can then move images across the table and see how the images are displayed in each waveform.

The exhibit displays a variety of celestial and terrestrial images in a wide range of wavelengths. For example, NASA images of the sun can be seen in all wavelengths. Common and iconic objects were photographed in diverse wavelengths. For example, a birthday cake with candles, a toy robot, an alarm clock, and even a hand holding an iPhone are seen in visible, infrared, ultraviolet, and x-ray modes.