HP's "Wall of Touch" That You Don't Need to Touch

HP is demoing a "Wall of Touch" that you don't even need to touch in order to operate it. Confused? So were we.

HP this week demonstrated a huge video wall that utilizes cameras and a magnetic strip to sense when you're approaching. The display senses what you're going to select before your finger hits the screen, thereby eliminating some of the sticky fingerprints so seem to go hand in hand with touchscreen technology.

Philip McKinney, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of HP’s Personal Systems Group spoke to the Wall Street Journal about the device and explained that it's actually comprised of nine 43-inch, 1.5-inch thick, zero-bezel displays, each with a resolution of 1080p. The whole thing is operated by a Z800 workstation.

Prototypes are already on show at the NBA headquarters and at the Continental Airlines counter in Houston Airport.

“We’re in the process of building out the next handful of walls as part of supporting our customer base, with the intent that, if there’s enough interest, HP will turn it into a mainstream product,” says. McKinney.

McKinney went on to say that the "Wall of Touch" will be "widely available" to consumers in 2011, but that it would likely come with a hefty price tag: anywhere up to $100,000 for more advanced systems with technologies like HD video conferencing.

Check out the demo video on the Wall Street Journal (no subscription necessary).