interactive whiteboard

[hibbard_pcc]

I am working on a project for a beginning electronics class.  I was trying to find out how a touch panel is made for things like a smartboard.  It dosn't seem like a very complicated thing in theory.  However it must be something major or they wouldn't cost so much.  Well that is unless "the man" is just trying to make some money off of businesses and the education system. . . lol

So anyone got some information let me know. . . Thanks

[GonZor]

I was going to give you credit for actually wanting to learn something, until I realized you post twice. I'm assuming you have checked google, and read the Smart Board wikipedia entry. Also the Interactive Whiteboard wikipedia entry. apart from that I cannot be of much help.

[natural_orange]

Basically Its Just a large touch screen that responds to a stylus like a palm pilot. (The callibration is very similar)

The Stylus has a button that activates when the tip is pushed down so that rubbing up against the board won't activate it.

It also has buttons for right/left click also in most cases.

Then all of the information is sent to the computer as a mouse input over a serial or usb connection.

Features like writing on the board no matter what is open are done using a program that open up an invisible window over the screen.

If you want to make your own the easiest way to do so would probably be with a webcam and a laser pointer like this http://muonics.net/blog/index.php?postid=15

[unasoto]

The touch screens at most of your cash registers have a laser grid that can tell where you break

[W4RP3D]

At my college the smart boards are solid, you have to use the pen not just any old thing. We wondered how they worked in an electronics lessons so we decided to take the pen apart. There no battery in there just some sort of inductor coil.

[SomeoneE1se]

At my college the smart boards are solid, you have to use the pen not just any old thing. We wondered how they worked in an electronics lessons so we decided to take the pen apart. There no battery in there just some sort of inductor coil.

digitizer

[elmer]

At my college the smart boards are solid, you have to use the pen not just any old thing. We wondered how they worked in an electronics lessons so we decided to take the pen apart. There no battery in there just some sort of inductor coil.

Yeah, I noticed the same thing in Wacom tablets. They definitely use some form of induction. I haven't been brave enough to take apart the pen, though.