Regarding Microsoft's 'Surface', it's exciting but ...
With a 30-inch screen, Surface will initially sell for between $5,000 and $10,000 (£2,525-£5,050).
That's a bit expensive for me. I'm sure the price will drop in a few years at which point I will be (literally) all over it.
The DIY option would be cheaper, the things you need are
1: a projector
2: a computer
3: a camera with a WDM driver
4: some infra red lighting (so it's out of the spectral range of the lightshow)
5: the table
I guess cost depends to a large degree on whether you have a few items already. Fortunately I have access to a projector. The one they use costs about £650 ($1200)
the camera they use is this one
http://www.ptgrey.com/products/dragonfly/
basically an OEM webcam / spycam device like I might buy from Maplin (UK)
but why not get an all in one solution, camera and IR lights all in one.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Mod ... A&doy=30m5
for £25.
Actually i'm not sure that one would work, the camera needs a WDM driver (IE like a webcam) . I think that just outputs an av signal.
I'm guessing that the total (DIY) cost including the table would be £800 to £1000, but as the major cost is the projector if you already have one, then that would drop.
I see in the musicthing comments that the sequencer they are using is written in Proce55ing and is called LoopArena
http://www.sport4minus.de/loopArena/index.html
