HP Displays "Wall Of Touch" (No Actual Touching Required) [Video]

Hewlett-Packard has revealed to the Wall Street Journal its so-called "Wall of Touch", a new design of its TouchSmart technology – one that doesn't actually require users to physically touch the screen.  Its prototype form is apparently already in use by a smattering of companies.

Unlike most touchscreen interfaces, users don't seem to have to make actual physical contact for their gestures to be interpreted.  The technology features a camera-based system and a magnetic strip to detect when users are pointing or are nearing the wall.

The "wall of touch" will not be made widely available to consumers until 2011, and would likely cost anywhere from "several thousand dollars up to $100,000 for more advanced systems with technologies like HD video conferencing".  Check out this quick video overview by HP Personal Systems Group VP/CTO Philip McKinney.