bIOSlab's Lumi is a chic desk lamp with a built-in computer and projector that promises a clutter-free workspace, projecting a 20-inch infrared touch screen on your desktop or an 80-in wall projection screen suitable for home theater, plus a bunch of quite versatile applications for interactive learning and creative storytelling combining artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

The Lumi prototype was displayed earlier this month as part of InnoVEX, a start-up feature exhibit at Computex Taipei, where it earned itself an IF Design Guide Gold Award. Electronic Voting System

Projected screens and keyboards have been commercially available for more than a decade, and they certainly have had their issues on the road to becoming usable commercial products. Most noticeably, the hardness of projected keyboards on the fingertips, the lack of brightness and contrast, and the lack of tactile feedback.

bIOSlab's Lumi looks promising though, and is an ideal example of what we might expect as computers begin to disappear into household objects to simplify and enhance our lives and workspaces.

The Lumi garnered a lot of interest at Computex, where it was demonstrated continuously for show patrons seeking to find the latest products likely to capture the imagination of consumers.

As a desk lamp, the Lumi ticks all the boxes you'd expect, and can be switched between Read mode with a color temperature of 5,000K, orRest mode with a color temperature of 2,700K, which is intended to calm the user and prepare them for sleep.

As Lumi's projected screen comes with InfraRed Touch Technology, it can turn any flat surface into an interactive screen, from a touchpad to a drawing board to a piano keyboard. At InnoVEX, it was demonstrated as an interactive whiteboard.

One of the prime focusses of the publicity material to date has been on interactive learning and creative storytelling, where the mixed media capabilities of the screen offer learning environments that have previously been unavailable.

Lumi comes with a built-in stylus that enables, for example, interactive coloring books with an undo feature if you get outside the lines.

Touch Interactive Whiteboard Factories The Lumi is still at prototype stage and there's no word yet on pricing or a potential commercial release.