Touchjet Projector with Interactive Projection

Interactive projection? It’s one of those things you have to see to believe.  After a successful Indiegogo launch, Touchjet has come out with their new projector that not only projects what’s on its enclosed Android operating system, but you can actually interact with the projection enabling clicking and typing!  And believe it or not, the projector fits in your hand!

We’ve seen some pretty cool projection products before, but never one where you can actually interact with its projection.  The Touchjet Pond allows you to play games, type email’s, search Google, view and flip through pictures, listen to music…whatever an Android tablet can do, the Touchjet Pond Projector can do.

The Touchjet Pond with Interactive Projection

Now you can create make almost any surface a touchscreen with Touchjet Pond’s interactive projection.  I projected the Touchjet Pond onto our wall and my kids had all sorts of fun interacting with their favorite Android games.  The projector can display up to 80 inches of interactive projection, with a resolution of 854×480.

Using the included styluses, we clicked on menu items, played Subway Surf and Ninja Fruit, sat back and watched movies, and even checked email.

Apps

The Touchjet Pond comes with with a built-in Android operating system, allowing you to download apps and games directly to the device.  Apps like PBS Kids are fun for kids to try out with Touchjet’s unique interactive projection.

See the Touchjet Pond in action. Watch this one minute video to see how it can be used…

In order to interact with the Touchjet’s projection, you use one of the two included styluses.  The stylus emits an infrared light that is tracked by the projector.  With the infrared light, you don’t need to physically touch the surface, which I was glad about, I was afraid the kids would mark up the wall.  Just press the button on the stylus to “click” on something.

Nonetheless, you can touch the surface with the stylus, which tracks impressions well through its pressure sensitive tips – allowing for more sensitivity when drawing.  

We had fun using a drawing app to make fun pictures on the wall.

The included Airmouse is another way to manipulate the screen when you’re further away from the interactive projection.  The Airmouse is quite useful when watching movies or giving a presentation.  Since the Touchjet Pond is only 9.4 ounces in weight, it can easily be carried with you to work meetings, community meetings, and more.

The Touchjet pond has an included camera mount.  I mounted it to my video camera tripod so I can easily adjust the height as without worrying about needing a table to sit it on.

Features:

• Wide display – perfect for watching movies or sharing an interactive projection screen
• Up to 80 lumens and a contrast ratio of 1000:1 for a bright display
• Built-in speaker
• Battery life of approximately 2 hours – or plug for longer play
• Internal 16 GB SD card for storage
• 4 GB internal storage
• WiFi G/G/N capable
• Mini HDMI and micro USB port
• Miracast, DLAN Available – which means it can project off phones and other devices
• 2 Infrared styluses and Airmouse for interactivity up close or afar – compatible with all apps
• Lamp bulb life lasts 20,000 hours
• Comes with sturdy carrying case to protect the Pond

Pros:

• Displays a nice big vibrant screen
• Small and lightweight projector can be easily taken anywhere
• Already has an Android operating system – can use apps and Internet as stand-alone
• Gets families together on one screen rather than individual screens
• The Airmouse makes it nice to sit or lie down while interacting with the screen

Cons:

• Your shadow can block out the projection, making interactivity difficult at times
• Sometimes the stylus is not precise, so it can be frustrating to click on the right thing on the screen
• We tested a few apps that only work in portrait format, so they appear sideways on the wall.  It’s easy to adjust this when you’re using a phone or tablet, but trying to see the app sideways doesn’t work.
• The sound isn’t super loud.  It would be tough to hear if you’re pretty far away from the Touchjet

The Touchjet Pond Projector is $599 with free shipping from BestBuy.com.

A Mom’s Perspective

The Touchjet Pond with its interactive projection is something you need to see to believe.  It reminds me of the smartboards I’ve seen at my kids’ school, only a lot cheaper.  You can’t beat the portability and multi-use functions  of the Touchjet Pond.

Forget buying an expensive TV for the den or spare bedroom, buy a Touchjet Pond and project the image on the wall.  You can watch HBO, Disney, Netflix, Hulu, your iTunes movies, you name it!

Homeschooling your children?  Just think of the math or map apps you could use to have your kids interact with in large living color?  Kids just love the interactive projection abilities of the Pond.

Apps like Angry Birds, Dragon City, Subway Surf, Fruit Ninja, the Smurfs, and others bring kids together, playing on one screen and enjoying the interactivity with one another.

Touchjet isn’t stopping here with just the Pond.  They are already working on their next project, the Touchjet Wave, which turns any TV screen into a touch screen.  With the advent of phones and tablets ushering in the world of touch, expect to see more touch interactivity in products whose screens were once dormant.

*  I was lent a Touchjet Pond in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.