Microsoft's multi-touch tabletop display called Surface has a competitor as Sony gets ready to start selling a 35-inch, full HD touchscreen table. The table will track gestures and even discern emotions, the makers claim.

The table is made by a Swiss company called Atracsys, which has partnered with Sony for the technology.

The table comprises a video-based movement-tracking system, a computer, a beamer and a screen, explains Atracsys on its web site. It will also have two Sony ISS XCD-V60 cameras to build a 3D image, according to gadget news blog Pocket Lint. What's intriguing is Sony's comment that the Atracsys table can also detect emotion such as surprise, happiness and anger.

The tracking system detects the positions and movements of a user's fingers and the objects on the screen. The data is processed by the computer and sent back to the beamer resulting in what seems like real-time interaction with the device. The whole set-up fits inside the table so users don't see anything beyond the touchscreen display, as the video below shows.

The idea is very similar to what Microsoft has with its Surface table. Microsoft first announced it in 2007 and since then the technology has showed up in places like Disneyland, Las Vegas casinos and MSBNC (during the TV channel's presidential elections coverage).

Surface hasn't proved to be a commercial blockbuster, largely because it is big and expensive. The Sony Atracsys table doesn't fundamentally change that, but it does offer an alternative to the Surface.

The tabletop display isn't designed for homes. But it is expected to show up at retail stores, events and in gaming. Sony and Atracsys haven't disclosed pricing for the multi-touch table.

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