InFocus Reinvents Interactive Whiteboards for the Classroom

InFocus® Corporation, the industry pioneer in digital projection technology, is unveiling its new interactive projector technology at the National Educational Computing Conference this week. Currently undergoing extensive beta testing, InFocus LiteBoard™ offers the most cost effective, flexible and portable solution for the education market by eliminating the need to purchase and install whiteboard hardware and by freeing presenters to interact with the content from around the room. InFocus is providing demonstrations of LiteBoard, which is enabled by DLP® technology, at the Texas Instruments™ booth (#1718).

“Technologies that keep students engaged, and offer a rich, immersive experience, are vital for learning,” said Jim Hirsch, associate superintendent for Academic and Technology Service at the Plano Independent School District. “The limited hardware requirements of InFocus LiteBoard make it easier to install and share among classes, while also redefining how educators experience the technology. We’re extremely happy to be among the first to beta test this new technology.”

Consisting of the LiteBoard projector and wand, the InFocus IN3902LB and IN3904LB interactive system will work on any surface—wall, screen, whiteboard, etc.—so there’s no need to mount whiteboard hardware or limits to the size of the display. The wand works by detecting patterns in the projected image that the human eye cannot see, communicating with the projector over a radio frequency to triangulate exactly where the user is pointing. All information is passed to the computer as standard USB mouse clicks and coordinates, enabling LiteBoard to be used with any operating system and software that uses computer mice. This allows educators to continue using their existing software curriculums, while also giving them the flexibility to change or upgrade to other software packages without compromising the functionality of the interactive system.

Unlike other interactive whiteboard solutions, the LiteBoard wand is not anchored to the wall, enabling educators to walk around the room and interact with both the content and the students. InFocus DisplayLink™ builds on the unparalleled portability of LiteBoard with “plug and project” capabilities, resulting in zero setup time and instant switching between multiple presenters. In addition, the proven picture reliability of DLP® technology from Texas Instruments™ and BrilliantColor™, makes LiteBoard a vibrant, long-lasting investment.

“While we’re extremely proud of the rich features and new user experience we’re introducing to the interactive whiteboard space, the diligence and time we are taking to incorporate direct end-user feedback is the most satisfying,” said Robert Detwiler, LiteBoard product manager at InFocus.

Availability

The InFocus LiteBoard interactive projector will be generally available early Q4 of 2009. Additional information on the InFocus beta program and its partner network will be announced in the coming months.

About InFocus Corporation

InFocus is the industry pioneer and a global leader in the digital projection market. The company’s digital projectors make bright ideas brilliant everywhere people gather to communicate and be entertained – in meetings, presentations, classrooms and living rooms around the world. Backed by more than 20 years of experience and innovation in digital projections, and over 245 patents, InFocus is dedicated to setting the industry standard for large format visual display. The company is based in Wilsonville, Oregon with operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.infocus.com.

InFocus, In Focus, INFOCUS (stylized), IN, ASK, Proxima, LiteShow, LP, ScreenPlay, Play Big, Work Big, Learn Big and The Big Picture are either registered trademarks or trademarks of InFocus Corporation in the U.S. and abroad. DLP and BrilliantColor are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks are used for identification purposes only and are the property of their respective owners in this and other countries. All rights reserved.