The best kept secret at Pop Tech was tucked away in a small dark room on the third floor of the Opera House. But once word got out crowds swarmed it; touching, twisting, and tilting the Geo Explorer Table. Scott Minneman and Dale Mac Donald, two Xerox PARC alumni, now with Onomy Labs developed the Geo Explorer Table. They said the original idea was sparked while watching a Seinfeld episode; the one where Kramer is obsessed with making a coffee table book. Scott and Dale said it made them think, “What if the coffee table was a book”. Scott and Dale took that idea and imagined the world as a “coffee table” and have made it happen.

The table is about hip height and you navigate by twisting it clockwise to zoom in, twisting it counter-clockwise to zoom out and tilting it to rotate the earth. You can fly over zooming out to see earth as a blue marble or zooming in to check out how many cars are parked in your office parking lot. The table’s interface is intuitive and the images are so compelling that you are drawn into it.

From the moment I saw the table I was reminded of hand propelled merry-go-rounds you see in playgrounds. Like kids clustered around a merry-go-round; adults huddled around the Geo Explorer Table; everyone wanted to touch it. They laughed, talked and collaborated to make it work. There was one subtle difference, the adults spontaneously shared personal stories with complete strangers as they twisted, tilted and zoomed to their homes, offices, or favorite parks. I asked Scott Minneman about this. He said one of the interesting surprises about the table was how well it worked as a social lubricant.

Both Scott and Dale said they?d love to see one in every school. If they are successful it will change the way kids learn geography. Scott sees the table working well in hotel lobbies, libraries, planning offices, and museums. So far, a handful of museums and offices have purchased the table. I think this technology will be scaled so that you’ll be seeing them in coffee houses, schools, even homes. I’d love to have one installed in my kitchen counter top.