In what looks like something out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory — or maybe Minority Reportbut with teeny tiny people — Fox News unveiled on Monday what it believes to be the future of the newsroom.

In a video posted to Fox News this morning (embedded below), anchor Shepard Smith debuted the Fox News Deck, where journalists will be on camera as they sift through posts on Twitter and Facebook to keep track of emerging news. But staffers will be using large 55-inch Microsoft touchscreens in the background of the broadcast.

“That’s where our journalists will be, using brand new tools to track developing stories and bring them to your screen as quickly as possible,” Smith said. “We call these BATs. Big area touchscreens.”

The studio has been in transition since Friday, Sept. 13 when Smith left to undergo shoulder surgery.

Fox confirmed the models are running Windows 8. Although it didn’t specify the model type, we’re pegging it as Microsoft’s Perspective Pixel touchscreens, which cost about $8,000 each. Microsoft makes an even larger model — 82 inches — for an astounding $87,000.

The move is a part of Fox‘s effort to evolve with the times and take risks. The touchscreens are intended to be multipurpose for functionality and add another visual element to the broadcast experience.

According to the video, Fox believes this concept will be copied in other newsrooms and become “the norm.”

What do you think of the Fox News Deck? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: Fox News