Product Overview
Version 2.0
© Ubi Interactive Inc. 821, 2nd Avenue, Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98104
| Product Overview
Version: 2-0 | date: 12/5/2013
Contents
1.
About Ubi ............................................................................................................... 3
2.
Overview ................................................................................................................ 3
3.
Physical set up and configuration ................................................................................. 4
4.
Software usage......................................................................................................... 7
5.
Licenses .................................................................................................................. 8
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| Product Overview
Version: 2-0 | date: 12/5/2013
1. About Ubi
Ubi Interactive is a Seattle based technology startup, that offers a patent pending gesture-control solution to
turn every surface into a 3D multitouch-screen. Its solution making use of the latest depth sensing camera
technology from Microsoft is uniquely innovative. Ubi was selected by Microsoft as one of the eleven promising
companies from all over the word to be part of its first accelerator program 1. During this program Ubi has
developed and perfected its technology making use of the close technical and business guidance it received
from Microsoft.
Ubi has already filed several patents to protect the technology across multiple countries in the world.
Ubi’s unique technology has caught the world’s attention and has been featured in CNN 2, Wired Magazine3
etc. Microsoft called Ubi’s technology as the future of digital displays and featured it in the World Partner
Conference 2012.4
2. Overview
Ubi offers a gesture-control solution to turn any surface into a 3D multitouch-screen.
The solution consists of a Microsoft Kinect for Windows sensor and the Ubi software. The sensor can be placed
facing a display created by front projection or rear projection of the computer screen. The user can interact
with the display using simple gestures as though it is a touch screen. Ubi analyzes the images captured by the
sensor to detect the position of the user’s fingers, hands or pen in the 3D space in front of the display. It can
determine precisely when the user is in contact with the display and pass on this information as standard touch
event to any touch optimized Windows 8 application.
Projector
Kinect
PC
Figure 1: Components of the Ubi solution
http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/kinectaccelerator/
http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/02/technology/angry-birds-wall/index.htm
3 http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-05/25/ubi-interactive
4 http://blogs.technet.com/b/next/archive/2012/07/24/the-future-of-digital-displays.aspx
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| Product Overview
Version: 2-0 | date: 12/5/2013
As shown in shown in Figure 1, the minimum requirement to use Ubi solution is a projector or display panel, a
Kinect for Windows sensor and a Windows 8 PC with Ubi software installed.
3. Physical set up and configuration
Figure 2 shows the options for physically setting up an interactive display enabled by Ubi. The Kinect sensor
can be placed anywhere in front of the display, as long as the whole interaction surface is visible to the sensor
and the user’s interaction on the display is not occluded from the sensor.
Kinect
Kinect
Kinect
Vertical ceiling mounted placement
ofVertical
Kinect ceiling mounted
Horizontal ceiling mounted placement of
KinectHorizontal ceiling mounted
Horizontal table top placement of
Horizontal
Kinect table top
placement of Kinect
placement of Kinect
placement of Kinect
Kinect can be placed anywhere - horizontally or vertically, as long the whole interaction surface is visible and the
user interaction is not occluded. The display can be created by front, rear projection or a physical display panel.
Figure 2: Options for the physical set up for interactive projection displays
Since Kinect’s depth resolution reduces with increase in distance, it is ideal to place Kinect as close to the
display as possible. At the same time, Kinect has to be placed far enough so that it can see the whole display.
Ubi defines three regions of depth sensing – near, far and extreme based on the distance of the Kinect from
the display. In the Near region the Kinect sensor can be placed between 80 cm (31.5 inches) to 120 cm - (47
inches) from the display. In the Far region, the Kinect sensor can be placed between 120 cm (47 inches) to 210
cm (82 inches) from the display. The Extreme region is when the Kinect sensor is placed between 210 cm (82
inches) and 294 cm (120 inches) from the display
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| Product Overview
Version: 2-0 | date: 12/5/2013
> 100’’
100 ’’
82 ’’
45 ’’
32 ’’
Too
Far
Extreme Region
Kinect
Far Region
Kinect
Near Region
Too
Near
Kinect
Figure 3: Regions of depth sensing
To be able to interact with the display, the minimum distance of the Kinect must be 32” from the display and
the maximum distance is 120” from the display. The outlying regions where the Kinect is placed at a distance
of 32” or less and greater than 120” from the display have been classified as Too Near and Too Far regions and
no interaction is supported in these regions.
The mode of interaction varies depending on these three regions and have been identified as:

Finger Mode: In this mode, Ubi will detect the position of the fingertips of the user. For this to be
enabled, the Kinect sensor should be placed in the Near region i.e. between 80 cm (32 inches) to 115
cm (45 inches) from the display. With this set up, interactive displays of 45 inches (diagonal size) can
be enabled.

Hand Mode: In this mode, Ubi will detect only the position of the hand and not individual fingers. For
this to be enabled, the Kinect sensor should be placed in the Far region i.e. between 115 cm (45 inches)
to 210 cm (82 inches) from the display. With this set up, interactive displays of 90 inches (diagonal
size) can be enabled.

Pen Mode: In this mode, Ubi will detect the tip of the pen held by the user. For this to be enabled, the
Kinect sensor should be placed across Near, Far and even Extreme regions i.e. between 80cm (32 inches)
to 294 cm (120 inches) from the display. With this setup, interactive displays of 120 inches (diagonal
size) can be enabled.
Figure
mode, the
Figure4.1:
5: In finger
hand mode,
fingertip
is
the
touch
point
center of the fingers
is the
Figure
In finger
hand mode,
Figure4.2:
6: In
mode,center
of
the
fingers
is
the
touch
point
fingertip is the touch point
touch point
5
Figure4.3:
7: In pen
pen mode,
mode,pen
pen
Figure
tip
point
tipisisthe
thetouch
touch
point
| Product Overview
Version: 2-0 | date: 12/5/2013
Figure 5: Touch up and touch down interaction with different input modes
Please note that the Kinect for Xbox sensor supports Finger mode in Near region and Hand mode in Far
region.
> 100’’
100 ’’
82 ’’
45 ’’
32 ’’
Kinect
Kinect
Kinect
Figure 7: Overview of input modes supported for Kinect placed at different distances from the display
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| Product Overview
Version: 2-0 | date: 12/5/2013
4. Software usage
Ubi consists of a vision engine that can precisely detect the position of user’s fingertips, hand or Ubi pen and
their relative distance to the display. Ubi’s interpretation engine analyzes the movement of the user’s fingertips
or hand and converts them into standard touch screen events for Windows 8. Ubi currently detects up to 20
touch points.
Figure 6: Kinect camera view as seen using Ubi
Figure 6 shows the user interface of Ubi when it is started. The camera view of the Kinect helps the user find
the optimal position to place the Kinect sensor. Once the sensor has the right view angle and distance from
the display, users can click “Calibrate”. This will trigger an automatic calibration process that lasts a few seconds.
During this process, Ubi builds a 3D model of the display surface. Once the calibration is performed, the display
is ready for interaction.
Depending on the distance of the Kinect and the input mode, the user can interact with the projection display
as though it is a touch screen with their finger, pen or whole hand.
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| Product Overview
Version: 2-0 | date: 12/5/2013
5. Licenses
The licenses for Ubi can be purchased for each PC where it needs to be installed. Ubi is available in four different
versions, as described below.
Basic
Professional
Business
Enterprise
1
1
2
20
45"
120
120"
120"
Operating modes:
Finger and
Finger, Pen and
Finger, Pen and
Finger, Pen and
Supported modes of
Pen mode
Hand mode
Hand mode
Hand mode
Forum
2 business day
1 business day
Same day
email response
email response
priority support
Touch points: how many
simultaneous "touches"
the display will respond
to
Display size:
Maximum supported size
of the touch display
operation depending on
the position of Kinect
Support: Support and
service for installation
and maintenance
by phone or
email
Price: Perpetual per PC
$149
$379
$799
$1499
All versions include one year of free updates. Volume discounts are available for enterprise version. If you are
interested in purchasing our software in bulk, or becoming a reseller, please contact us at [email protected]
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