The Android MegaPad is then the next logical step - a modern touch-based computing device with with a screen size that will enable a whole different set of experiences. Unlike tablets, devices like this will make simultaneous use by two users a practicality and will let users more fully immerse themselves in apps and games. In the demo video below, you can see two apps that, while written for phones and tablets, nevertheless demonstrate the usefulness of such a device.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Android MegaPad - 23" Android Tablet for $600
I'd like to introduce to you a project I've been hacking on for the last few weeks - a prototype of a product I think will become a mainstream computing device in the next few years. As we all know, Apple brought touch computing to the mainstream in 2007 and showed us its potential. In 2010, they introduced the iPad and showed us that different screen sizes open up new possibilities but also demand different apps.
The Android MegaPad is then the next logical step - a modern touch-based computing device with with a screen size that will enable a whole different set of experiences. Unlike tablets, devices like this will make simultaneous use by two users a practicality and will let users more fully immerse themselves in apps and games. In the demo video below, you can see two apps that, while written for phones and tablets, nevertheless demonstrate the usefulness of such a device.
What makes this rather unique is that it was build using off-the-shelf components in my kitchen for less than $600, though it is not portable. On top of this commodity hardware, Android was used because its openness and flexibility make it the only modern touch-based OS that is able to be adapted for uses beyond what's currently available in the market. Stay tuned for technical details.
The Android MegaPad is then the next logical step - a modern touch-based computing device with with a screen size that will enable a whole different set of experiences. Unlike tablets, devices like this will make simultaneous use by two users a practicality and will let users more fully immerse themselves in apps and games. In the demo video below, you can see two apps that, while written for phones and tablets, nevertheless demonstrate the usefulness of such a device.
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28 comments:
Is there any chance that you publish how you built it?
Or do you plan to bring this device into production
i'm using mutitouch 22' monitor with windows 7 (for my 3 years old kid), but this likes me much more, can you release android image please, thank you
"Android was used because its openness"
Right... Which version of Android did you say it was running? Was it the one specifically made to handle larger touchscreens, or the one that everyone else has to use?
Also, Fruit Ninja looks really clumsy at that size. I don't think large touchscreens will displace the Wiimote and Kinect anytime soon...
I actually think if you could connect your Android phone to a Monitor or a TV for instance would achieve a more flexible effect. You always have the phone with you and when you do have a nice big screen to take advantage of, you can just plug it in and start rolling.
I am in in the central management team for a group of almost 30 factories. We phrase 'paperless factory' get's thrown about every once in a while, but we need to use and manipulate large technical drawings (usually in PDF). Paper is still the preferred way due to portability and viewing area. These would be cheap enough that you could have several mounted around the machines (they are very large...) and the cost would not be too much (I'm assuming that a series production could be delivered for under $1000). Keep going, and think about other markets than just consumer apps - at least for the beginning...
yep thatZ cool...
i've been thinking about that for some time now but I moved to kinetic controlled stuff ( my TV program, puter and sim )
U can buy 22'' monitor 4 a $140 (+/- $20 ), touch glass with a controller 4 a $75 up to $150 ( better 1 - more money, and do you want capacitive or resitive ) Board can be some mATX -$60, memory, HDD and similar $150. For OS use Android 4 x86 image and that's it, nothing fancy ...but cool :)
nice post ...+1
gRe from n0where.net
Man keep going with that project, it looks great. I love how some people hate on nice stuff like this that hasn't been done before. Don't let them get to you, they're just jealous. Nice work!!
Lay it flat, and you have a competitor to Microsoft's Surface.
Very cool! I've got that same Acer monitor still in a box, I'm going to use my 47" until it dies on me (soon, screen's starting to fade and has issues with it), would love to know how you got this going, and would love to get my Motorola Atrix or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 working as the brains for this instead of relying on older Android x86 technology that isn't updated as often! Congrats!!
looks like you're running the android x86 project's port of 2.3
Am i right? I think i be.
Pretty awesome stuff. :)
This looks amazing.
At the price you've been projecting, if this could handle 6 to 10 point, the audio and visual communities would surely be interested. I know I would, as long as it's as affordable as you plan.
This really looks like a fake.
Just record a session on a regular tablet, replay it on a big screen.
You can see that as the synchronisation between the gestures and the related actions is not perfect, often delayed.
Good buzz though.
People who cry fake at very plausible things are attention starved morons, pass it on.
Still, a little more detail on this would be nice. Where do you get 23" multi-touch screens without buying something like the all-in-one HP computer with that? Is this the x86 Android? Last I saw was the 1.6 release, I'll have to go looking for the 2.3 one someone mentioned. I imagine the laggyness is the result of not-so-great graphics drivers or some lag inbetween touch sensor measurements.
Yeah, as James replied, this video is not a fake.... it's pretty easy to see that the finger swipes in Fruit Ninja are perfect, just with minor delay most likely due to the points James mentioned - I don't know about you, but I've never seen such a good "actor" acting out finger gestures on a video playback from an Android device! He must have practiced it for days trying to get all the gestures perfectly timed in order to FAKE this video, right Christophe? Give it up, troll....
@James - Here is the Acer T230H monitor I own, and I believe is the same one used in this MegaPad creation:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5353782&CatId=1449
Nice work! We've been using a Java framework called MT4j to develop desktop multitouch applications, and they recently released an Android port. Once the x86 Android port comes a little further (and capabilities like remote administration are available), this may be another option for our public multitouch maps.
On the hardware side, for just another $4k, you could get at Nextwindow 2700 touch overlay and an NEC P461 monitor, and have a 46" Android tablet :) Here's to hoping those prices come down soon.
i have an idea for you the architects (i am ) needs to plot plans for revitions if you do something maybe 40" touch scrren with applications for revision plans there you have potencial clients
When do you plan on selling this device. al
VERY impressive (and the "it's fake" comment had me ROTFL!)
Color me crazy - but how about a netbook and a large 23" aluminium case and you could then have a portable device (well luggable!)
Man this is so cool. I want one...
Looking forward to future technical posts
Do you know if this device is also an eReader?
hey great job man hats off to you i think yew are brilliant this is a very creative work i think i saw something like this in a movie but reality is always better...keep the good work up
I would buy this in a second-- especially if it could be wall mounted. I imagine it as a family calendar, note pad, list maker, recipe keeper- etc. Imagine having a large, electronic calendar on your wall-- that could be updated wirelessly, and easily manipulated. I would pay $600 for that.
cant you use windows 8 on it?
Keep going !!!! Don`t stop !!!
Класс !!!! Это что-то, даже не мог подумать что такое возможно уже сейчас !!!
Hi Martin,
My name is Ridwan and I work for a headhunting firm called Firebrand in Singapore. I would like to speak to you with regards to your fabulous creation. Kindly drop me a note at mridwan@firebrandtalent.com in order for us to organize a time to chat.
Thank you and looking forward to your response.
Regards
Ridwan
I like big screen tablet
Okay, now fast forward to 2018 and tell me has this project has evolved any? I am currently working on building my own 23" Android tablet but haven't been finding the greatest amount of information to do so (that's how I stumbled upon your page). There are more SBC's than ever available but finding just the right one to run Android well is somewhat of a challenge. My latest attempt is to use the RPi3 running EmteriaOS (Android 7) but the RPi doesn't have the guts to run it well... it runs, just not great. But I suppose that's to be expected from a $30 SBC. Is there a better SBC on the market to build an Android tablet? Ideally, one that will install easily and run with out a bunch of fiddling and no hiccups when using apps? Preferably one that costs less than $100 too. Thoughts?
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