We printed a 3D Sphynx, helped a fashion designer create a new logo, shot a stop motion video of plastic butterflies and learned origami all in just a few minutes using the new all-in-one Sprout desktop computer from HP.
The HP Sprout looks like a normal touchscreen with a specialized 3D camera and projector extending from behind the screen called an "Illuminator," which records and projects onto a touchscreen mat where you would expect to find a keyboard.
Gurdave Ahluwalia of HP told Tech Times the device is aimed at all creatives in the maker space community, from professional product designers to back-shed enthusiasts, at the at CE Week conference in New York. Sprout allows hands-on interaction with your content on the physical pad and then lets you alter that object in the digital space on the screen.
The Illuminator houses four different types of cameras: infrared, 3D, RGB and 14 megapixel high resolution. Using Intel's Realsense camera and projection engine allows you to scan 2D or 3D objects and instantly display them on the Touch Mat.
We scanned a miniature ornament of the Sphynx and immediately started printing it up using the attached Dremel 3D printer. The statue, which was about the size of a toy car, would take about three hours to print. The Sprout allows you to manipulate the scanned image to create your own unique image by choosing different textures like wood and colors or just changing the shape digitally.
Fashion designer Adam Selman used the Sprout to create a new logo and shirt design. By capturing physical pieces of ribbon on the touch mat and moving them around on the screen, he was able to create designs in minutes that would have taken hours without the Sprout. Another demo also created a small stop motion video of a plastic butterfly tracking across the touch mat.
For the less artistic among us, there are some fun games that can help bring out your creative side. One exhibitor was having fun trying to make some origami using instructions on the screen. You fold your origami on the touchpad, and then Illuminator will tell you whether you've done it correctly or not.
There's nothing new about any of the technology in the Sprout, but what it does is bring everything together in a neat and easy to use package. Every Sprout also comes with an Adonit Jot Pro Stylus and Bluetooth-connected keyboard and mouse if you need them. At $1,899, it's expensive but still within reach of the home consumer. Professional artists will certainly find it useful, but the real market is for the growing army of homemakers around the world.
CE Week 2015's consumer electronics and technology exhibits run through Thursday in New York City. More than 175 participating companies showcase what's new, along with a program of over 35 conference sessions, keynotes and workshops, at the Metropolitan Pavilion/Altman Building.
