You’ve no doubt heard of and seen odd remixes and mash-ups before. The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, and the collaboration between Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. on a version of “Walk This Way” are some examples that come to mind.
HP is reportedly set to unleash its own efforts towards a similar path with something called Sprout, which combines a touchscreen PC with a touch-friendly working area, as well as a projector and 3D scanner.
Images get beamed down to the work area, which a user can then mess with using their hands, or a stylus. With this, they can adjust the dimensions of pictures, and change properties like color. They can add more items to their projects by putting them in the work area. and letting the scanner add them to the virtual sandbox.
If Sprout sounds impractical and overly ambitious, well, that may be true for the average consumer. However, such a device could have potentially useful applications in business-centric fields, like architecture, urban planning, and more. The HP Sprout could also be attractive to creative professionals as well, along with people who dream up of and conceive 3D printing projects.
So, assuming the report is accurate, the Sprout may not directly benefit consumers as something that’s practical to own in your home. However, if the promise of the Sprout is fulfilled, it could lead to companies and governments making better products and services over time.
The Sprout reportedly runs on Windows right now, but could be powered by Chrome OS at some point down the line.
Digital Trends has contacted HP about the Sprout. An HP executive declined to comment.
There’s no word on how much the HP Sprout may cost, or when it could hit the market. HP is holding an event on October 29, where it will be revealing an unannounced product. Sprout may very well be it.
