GestureWorks 3 Introduces World's First Markup Language for Multitouch

CORRALES, N.M., Nov. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ideum Inc. — makers of the GestureWorks multitouch software framework—have announced the release of GestureWorks 3.  This new version, built from the ground up, provides streamlined multitouch authoring for touch-tables and walls, kiosks, desktop computers, tablets, and embedded devices.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111130/DC13266)

GestureWorks 3 incorporates many new features including GestureML, the world's first markup language for multitouch and motion recognition. Using GestureWorks with GML, authors can create virtually any number of gestures, all of them fully editable and extensible.

GestureML is an open standard that allows definitions for gestural interactions to be separate from the compiled application. As Ideum CEO Jim Spadaccini explains, "This revolutionary approach for multitouch makes 'patented gestures' and proprietary interactions obsolete. Authors can easily define and modify an almost infinite number of gestures and interactions."

Along with GestureML, the new version of GestureWorks includes an advanced gesture visualizer, which interprets multiple touch points and can identify users' hands and motion.  This sophisticated "debug mode" allows developers to visualize the interaction—seeing raw data, such as the number of touch points, X & Y coordinates, scale, and rotation; and processed values, such as associated gestures and object transformations—all in real time.

Paul Lacey, Director of Multitouch Engineering at Ideum, explains, "The cluster analysis engine is load balanced and object specific: this means that processing of gestures only occurs as needed. This makes the framework lightweight, yet extremely powerful."

GestureWorks 3 also includes a powerful physics engine, which gives display objects and gestures real world behaviors. This feature can be adjusted to compensate for limitations in multitouch hardware or to customize the nuances of user interaction. Physical properties like inertia, bounce, and friction can be tuned for custom applications or specific devices.

GestureWorks software works with Adobe Flash, Flex, FlashDevelop, FDT, and can be published to Adobe AIR. GestureWorks is fully compatible with any multitouch or dual-touch enabled hardware that runs Windows 7 or uses the TUIO protocol. The GestureWorks simulator, which is built-in, allows developers to test applications on standard single-touch hardware.

Developers can also access a growing collection of open source, multitouch-enabled software modules. Made available through Open Exhibits, this software is free and can be used commercially. A variety of media players, web APIs, interface elements, and utilities are available including a motion recognition application for the Microsoft Kinect. 

GestureWorks 3 was developed in part with assistance from the Venture Acceleration Fund (VAF), launched by Los Alamos National Security LLC (LANS). Ideum has received a $100,000 investment, which helped speed the development of of the software.

High-resolution images can be found at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ideum

Video can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/multitouchexhibits

For more information, please see:
GestureWorks: www.gestureworks.com
GestureML: www.gestureml.org
Open Exhibits: www.openexhibits.org  
Venture Acceleration Fund (VAF): http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/tt/vaf.shtml

About Ideum
Ideum (www.ideum.com) is a 12-year old company based in Corrales, New Mexico. Along with developing GestureWorks, it also designs and produces the MT55 series of multitouch tables: http://www.ideum.com/multitouch

Contact:
Angela Arzave
[email protected]
(505) 792-1110

SOURCE Ideum