Tracking Multiple Laser Pointers for Large Screen Interaction

We describe a new technique for tracking and identifying multiple laser pointers simultaneously in a large screen collaborative environment. Our method is based on using a video camera to track and decode the laser pointers. We use an asynchronous serial bit stream created by blinking the laser light to encode the identity of each laser. Our goal is to use multiple laser tracking in large screen collaborative groupware applications so that people can work together easily in room-sized environments. Video capture and asynchronous identification provide a scalable and flexible implementation. Our approach contributes to the creation of a framework for supporting multiple input streams including laser pointers.