At
the Tesco wine fair the Microsoft Surface table turns from a bar in to a rich
immersive experience for the wine enthusiasts to explore content though touch
and natural gestures. The punters had their own take on the five Ss in tasting
wine. So as spit became swallow and their
hand-eye coordination slowly declined over the day, you waited for the
inevitable to happen as the enthusiasts reached out to interact with the
digital content with their wine glass sat precariously on the Surface tabletop.
Microsoft
provides instructions on how to clean and care for the Surface tabletop but I
couldn't find any documentation about the unit’s ability to cope with sizeable
spillage. What would happen if a pitcher
of beer accidentally got knocked over?
I
don’t have an answer from Microsoft but here’s my conclusion...
Microsoft
is targeting customers in the retail, hospitality and entertainment
businesses. Sheraton Hotels and Harrah's
Casino have already rolled out Microsoft Surface. They offer social experiences
in public situations which expose the table to all manner of drinks – hot or
cold, soft or alcoholic – and it’s inevitable that spillages will occur. Would
Microsoft target restaurants, hotels and casino’s if they didn’t have
confidence that the unit could handle some spillage? As of yet I’ve not heard of any Surface
owners suffering any problems from drink spillages
The
horizontal form factor provides a collaborative experience and enables object
recognition by users placing physical objects on the tabletop. It’s one of the unique features of Microsoft Surface and something that
lends itself so well to drinking and dining experiences. If Microsoft is serious about the horizontal
form factor then the unit would need to withstand food and drink spillage. And
they certainly are serious – Microsoft is currently working on an R&D
project (SurfaceWare) that will measure the amount of liquid remaining in your glass by projecting a laser through a glass with an optical prism designed in the base. The
bar staff could then be alerted at the perfect time to offer the diner a
top-up. More evidence that Microsoft sees Surface being a great device for bars
and restaurants, where punters can browse virtual wine cellars and food menu’s,
ordering and then dining off the table.
And
why would Microsoft take waterproofing lightly?
Consider what is inside the unit. At the core of the unit is a high-end
PC running Vista, five infrared cameras and a rear projector. Protecting the £8500 unit from liquid
spillage is a given.
And
anyway, waterproofing computer devices is nothing new. We already have waterproof laptops that can
withstand coffee or water spills, and even be taken in to the shower! Plasma
Product Innovations has developed a chemical that can make any material
100% waterproof. Wired had an interesting article on this waterproof technology. So we’re not short on waterproof
technologies.
We've had several beer spillages on our unit but everything still functions and performs as it should. So
until I hear otherwise from other Surface owners out there I will assume that the
unit can more than hold its own with drink spillages.