Thermal Table
A table where you can see heat
We usually don't know whether something is hot or cold until we physically touch it—what if temperature was immediately visible as light?
This project combines an iPhone-attached FLIR ONE infrared thermal camera with an overhead projector to cast real-time surface temperature changes directly onto a tabletop in vibrant color.
A Tabletop That Reveals Temperature Before You Touch It
By processing surface temperature heat maps from the thermal camera, an aligned overhead projector maps the false-color thermal data right back onto the physical desk.
- Visualizing Temperature: Pour hot water into a mug and it illuminates in glowing red; pour cold ice water and it radiates in cool blue.
- Observing Heat Distribution: Placing a laptop that has been running for hours clearly reveals where heat is concentrating across its chassis and exhaust vents.
Instead of viewing UI elements on a secondary screen, digital information is directly overlaid onto physical objects in an intuitive, tangible Spatial Augmented Reality setup. The project was featured on maker media including Hackaday, drawing attention as an early interface exploration for future smart kitchens and interactive dining tables.