By now you’ve probably seen the HP Sprout computer, an oddly-named, yet undeniably original desktop computer/tablet/projector combination that allows users to scan physical items and then manipulate them on screen using their fingers.
One day after the $1,899 system got the tech world talking, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has published a continuation patent application from Apple — originally granted in 2011 — describing a very similar-sounding 3D imaging and display system.
Apple’s patent covers an advanced computer making use of head tracking, hand gesturing, presence detection and more, which could be used in a future desktop computer, gaming system, or Apple TV refresh.
It’s an altogether fascinating concept, and one which Apple would likely be able to execute better than anyone — not least because a machine like the HP Sprout will appeal most heavily to creatives, which is exactly the industry Apple has always had as one of its major user bases.
Being that this is a patent application there is, of course, no guarantee that this technology will ever show up in an actual Apple product, but given its post-Sprout timing it’s certainly interesting.
If you haven’t already checked out the HP Sprout computer, watch the below ad, which seems to borrow more than a little from previous Apple ads like the “Think Different” campaign:
Source: Patently Apple
