3M 46-inch touchscreen prototype

[CES 2012] Remember the Cyberdyne Tacto display that we looked at in last year’s CES? Well, it seems that the ante has been increased, thanks to 3M with their 46″ projected capacitive touchscreen prototype. Specially designed to show off to the world the idea of scalability where touchscreen technology is concerned, this particular device can support up to 20 distinct touch points. If that does not blow your socks away, here is the clincher – when this prototype makes the jump to a commercial release, it would come with 60 distinct touch points by then. Just what kind of use can you think of for 3M’s prototype? We are looking at a place in retailers and restaurants, and might even be suitable for an educational environment. Pricing details have still yet to be confirmed as 3M executives remained mum on the situation, but expect production of this prototype to kick off sometime later this year.