Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The SMART Board is a large whiteboard that uses touch technology for detecting user input (e.g. scrolling interaction) that are equivalent to normal PC input devices, such as mice or keyboards. A projector is used to display a computer's video output onto the whiteboard, which then acts as a huge touchscreen. The SMART Board usually comes with 4 digital writing utensils that use digital ink replacing the traditional whiteboard markers. The digital ink works by using an active digitizer that controls the PC input information for writing capabilities such as drawing or handwriting.
There are also buttons that launch a popup keyboard and a right-mouse-click menu for more input options. The interactive whiteboard is usually mounted on a wall or a floor stand and is used in face-to-face or virtual settings in education[3], business and government.
Note that interactive whiteboard are different from tablet computing which are usually use for education / information request (boardrooms meeting for presentation, classrooms (assisting / enhancing) learning styles rather than tablet which are more common for display and personal assisted technologies (such as graphic tablet, wallpaper, transportation time schedules...etc).
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard operates as part of a system that comprises the interactive whiteboard, a computer and a projector. The components are connected wirelessly, or via USB or serial cables. A projector connected to the computer projects the computer desktop image onto the interactive whiteboard. The interactive whiteboard accepts touch input from a finger, pen, and solid objects. Each contact with the board is interpreted by the SMART Board as a left-click from the mouse. SMART Board interactive whiteboards are available as front-projection, rear-projection and flat-panel display (interactive whiteboards that fit over plasma or LCD display panels) models.
