Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

als0

Still an amazing hack today and I love it. However, I heard Apple are developing a touch screen MacBook this year, and I simply don't get why they're doing that. I don't know what's worse, the ergonomics or the fingerprints.

t1234s

Is there a coating you can apply to the glass to help with smudge marks?

spidermonkey23

Using an external webcam is that not more than $1? cool project though; reminds me of how you could use a Wii remote to create a interactive whiteboard.

solfox

Love it! I appreciate the ethos of doing more with existing hardware. Adding an actual touchscreen would add real COGs to a macbook, and many potential failure points. Using the existing camera hardware + software seems to produce a "good enough" result for most people for casual use. I'm sure with some time and eng, Apple could make the "hack" shippable. But it doesn't earn product managers the big big bonuses, so it'll never happen.

egypturnash

I wonder how well this would work with my bright blue fingernails that are about .5" longer than my finger. I then wonder how much recalibration I would have to do when one of them broke and I was poking directly at the screen.

brcmthrowaway

Checking this profile of a random hacker in 2018, of course they are now working on AI.

dotBen

I wouldn't want a touchscreen MBP even if it was free, anyone else feel similar? I don't get the draw - we already optimize for keyboard commands to avoid living our fingers over to a touchpad. Why would I want to start clicking on my screen? If you're using your computer for tasks (rather than entertainment) and you're not a visual designer, I don't get why Apple are apparently going to be putting them into the new MBP line later this year.

nothrowaways

Touch screens are not pleasant for laptops. I prefer not to have them.

long-time-first

This is amazing. They should start to install upward looking cameras to implement this officially.

ForOldHack

I think I could do this for less than 15 cents: four small peices of double sided tape, and the tiny mirror, and two hair pins... but the software? Priceless.

JaredCampbell

It feels real because of the dirty touchscreen.

rox_kd

Neeeeveeeer!!! please let macbooks be as they are .. why would I ever choose to put fingers on that beautful screen ... I don't get it!

ianberdin

I was laughing so much. Thank you. Unexpected tech!

callamdelaney

The reason we buy macbooks is because they aren't touchscreens.

Jabrov

What a super neat application of computer vision. Cool writeup. Thanks for sharing the code and making it open source too!

joaohaas

As other people mentioned this is obviously not something I would want in my notebook... but I can still appreciate the cool tech! I can also definitely see this kind of thing being used in things budget outdoor displays, specially if the UI is made to accommodate the lack of accuracy, and the camera is positioned on the side (since these displays are usually vertical).

wek

This is cool. Simple prototype. Is it dependent on lighting ... what if you are outside or backlit or glare etc...?

coef2

People use their laptops under various lighting conditions. I can imagine it would be difficult (or likely impossible) to bring this PoC to a solid production level technology. It looks like a fun project though.

dhbradshaw

Don't love touchscreens that much. But I did love my Toshiba Satellite. It was like writing on paper! Down with capacitive screens and long live Active Digitizers!