HP to unveil its new 3D-scanning PC next week

HP is synonymous with mass-market PCs and notebooks, but according to a report from Re/code, HP is trying it proverbial hand at something new. According to the usual slew of unnamed sources, the company will show off a novel new Windows PC called the Sprout at an event in New York next week. We’re not using the word “novel” lightly here, either: the Sprout is comprised of a big flat screen display paired with an expansive surface for touch input and a combination projector/3D scanner that hangs above it.

When Hewlett-Packard announced it would split in two — one company devoted to PCs and printing, the other to enterprise IT — CEO Meg Whitman said one area the PC side would explore is “new computing experiences.” Sources familiar with the matter tell Re/code that HP will demonstrate one of them at an event in New York on Oct. 29, with a product it is calling Sprout. The product combines a large flat-screen display — similar to its Pavilion Touchsmart line of touch-enabled desktop PCs — with a flat touch-enabled work surface and an overhead assembly that combines a projector and a 3-D scanner, according to people who’ve seen it.