Bonfire: A Nomadic System for Hybrid Laptop-Tabletop Interaction

Bonfire is a laptop that has been modified to have two cameras and two projectors pointing to the sides of the laptop so that workspace can be enlarged and so the laptop can "recognize" what is going on in the workspace, whether it is hand gestures or knowing what you're reading. Bonfire is a compilation of technologies to produce a new and exciting form of computer interaction. This setup extends user interaction space, allows the laptop to be "aware", enables physical interaction with the laptop, and provides horizontal workspace. 

All of these things group to provide a more enriched experience than what you would get with a regular laptop. The problems lie in the usefulness. It is extremely geeky and cool, but is it practical to broadcast images on a table when you have a laptop right there, even more so, is it economical? I think this would be a great addition to what the laptop is now and heralds a new era, but I dont think it will be a staple because people want smaller things. I see something like this being made for a phone. There are projectors small enough now to attach to phones, and soon integrate them. Make a phone be able to recognize things and project and take gestures so all you have to do is point and act instead of carrying around a laptop. I say this because the additions being made seem like they are more for a social media expansion and nomadic life than for work and business.