11.01.2007 — Savant Systems likes to boast about the stability of its Apple-based home control system and the richness of its drag-and-drop Blueprint programming environment. But what really drove the masses to the company’s out-of-the-way booth at CEDIA was the wow factor of Savant’s user interfaces.

Topping the wow charts was Savant’s Rosie Coffee Table Touchpanel Controller—essentially a big, rugged, spill-resistant version of Savant’s more conventional touchscreens. Dealers crowded around the two tables to interact with images that floated past them under the interactive glass.

To activate an application like a photo viewer or DVD player, simply drag the appropriate icon (camera or DVD disc) to the ENTER button at the bottom right-hand corner of the table. (Don’t knock over any beers.)

Want to have a little fun with music? Launch the music library and watch your albums fly by. Grab a favorite with your finger and slide it to the bottom of the coffee table to play.
Of course, if you want to use the coffee table like a traditional touchscreen, just tap the “GRID” button and the icons will align.

But what fun is that?

Innovative graphical experiences are a hallmark of the Savant ecosystem. The company has created a number of screen savers, for example, that turn a static TV screen into a stream or fish tank. In the case of the coffee table, as well as Savant’s touchscreen-enabled TVs, the virtual fish scatter when the glass is touched.

The same sort of whimsy is evident in Savant’s sparse handheld remote that looks like a hard boiled egg sliced in half.

With a scant 11 buttons and a scroll wheel, plus Savant’s on-screen user interface, “you can control anything you could control with a touchscreen,” says Savant president Jim Carroll. The directional buttons are used to navigate through the on-screen options, and the wheel can be used to dial up the proper volume, temperature or CCTV camera angle.

Finally, CEDIA attendees got a double wow when Savant reps demonstrated control of the Savant system through an iPhone. An avid iPhone user himself, Carroll deftly navigated through the home control application as he would any traditional iPhone function—magnifying a “keypad” by dragging his fingers apart, and flipping through albums by swishing a finger across the screen.

Enjoy the Rosie Coffee Table “in person” through a video tour, and catch up on all of the latest Savant news at http://www.cepro.com/cedia2007Savant.