While giving a corporate slide presentation, it would be handy to be able to control the images just by touching them on the wall or projection screen that they’re appearing on.
The DAMO from Taiwan is a portable accessory that connects via Wi-Fi to Android 4.2 and higher smartphones and tablets, and then displays whatever is on the Android device screen through any projector. The DAMO sensor connects to the projector via an HDMI cable. The touch screen that is created can be as large as 80 inches. When the user touches the wall or other surface with an included DAMO ring or pen device, an infrared signal is sent to the DAMO sensor and then back to the Android device. Interacting can also be done via hand gestures or controlled via the Android device screen.
The sensor can also be attached to a TV or computer monitor. Backers who provide $99 as part of an early bird Indiegogo special will get a DAMO system when it ships in August of this year. That’s $70 less than its expected $169 price. The money is going to be used to put DAMO into mass production. Its makers are trying to raise $90,000 by March 8.
DAMO holds promise. But the limited number of devices that it supports now will limit its potential customer base. It has some similarities to the cheaper Project Wedge, which supports more mobile devices, but otherwise pales in comparison to DAMO. The main customer for DAMO will likely be people who frequently make business presentations, although there could be some limited appeal among kids. The product’s name is a version of the Chinese name of a Buddhist monk, also known in English as Bodhidharma. Besides being credited with training Shaolin monks in martial arts, Bodhidharma is said to be the founder of Zen Buddhism, which is why charms in his likeness are popular in Japan. The green DAMO logo is a take on those charms, also known as Daruma dolls, the DAMO team says.