Touchscreens are awesome. I don't think anyone doubts that they are the wave of the future. Unfortunately, right now they're also rather expensive. Cost is especially an issue when you deal with really large screens. According to Tech-On (via Electronista) projector manufacturer Funai may have found the solution to this problem with their Eco projector system.

The Funai Eco was debuted this week at the CEATEC show in Japan. This projector uses Nippon Signal's Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) scanner to create a laser projector that responds to touch input. Users can rotate, replace, enlarge, or otherwise manipulate a displayed object with their fingers alone.

Funai's projector works by measuring the intensity of the light in each part of a projected image. When a finger blocks some of the light and reduces the intensity, the sensor recognizes this and acts accordingly. While the Eco projector is currently a prototype, Funai hopes to have a production version ready by 2010. Here's hoping!