Fujitsu Laboratories‘ new user interface effectively makes any surface into a touchscreen. The system uses relatively simple hardware: an ordinary webcam and a commercial projector. Image processing technology lets you select text from a real-world document and digitize it, effectively using your fingertip as a next-generation scanner.

The system doesn’t respond to regular activities on the table or whatever surface you’re using it on. It would react to the pointing of a fingertip which, according to Fujitsu, is an effective combination of analog operations and digital devices.

Users can also manipulate the system with gestures, which would make it much more useful in a variety of applications. It’s surprisingly adept and able to detect differences in ambient brightness, skin color and fingertip height. It can also adjust for differences in surfaces, such as the curved surface of an open book’s page.

Fujitsu is planning to market the system as an all-around interface which could be used to digitize analog data, make presentations or file paperwork at the courthouse. They are planning to develop a commercial version of the technology for fiscal year 2014, but significant user testing is required before it’s ready for the market.

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This simple piece of folding cardboard with magnets attached is actually much more useful than you might think. It’s called Scanbox, and it turns your smartphone into a portable scanner, photocopier and presentation tool.

The Scanbox folds nearly completely flat when not in use. When you need it, it unfolds to full size in a matter of seconds. Your documents, pictures or even 3D objects go inside the box’s opening. You then place your smartphone on top of it, activating the camera to scan whatever is inside.

With the premium Scanbox product, a set of LED lights stuck inside the box can remove any shadows. The team behind the Scanbox Kickstarter project raised the $12,500 they needed for their first production run with nearly two months to spare, meaning that this very clever product will soon go into production.

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If you haven’t quite adopted the whole digital books lifestyle yet but find yourself in need of digital copies of a few pages now and then, the Scan Board concept is kind of a cool idea. Designed by Jo Jae-Hwan and Shin Se-Hwa, the Scan Board works a lot like other portable hand-held scanners, but with one notable difference: it fits in between the pages of a closed book. The glass plate is laid on top of the page that needs to be scanned and then the book is closed.

After pushing the button located in the non-scanning black edge of the device, the user just sits back and waits for a digital copy of the needed page. The data is then transferred to the user’s computer via a USB cable. Overall, the slick-looking design could use a little more refinement before it’s ready to be a fixture in every book lover’s home…but the fun idea and gorgeous styling definitely leave us wanting to see more.

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