“Skinput” Research Could Lead to Device-less UIs
“Skinput” Research Could Lead to Device-less UIs
Posted 03/03/2010 at 5:58am
| by Paul Lilly
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Forget about traditional touchscreen displays, laser keyboards, and gesture-based controls. None of those have the same wacky sci-fi appeal as "Skinput," the new self-touch input method Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft are tag teaming.
Skinput is essentially a touchscreen interface for your flesh, but don't worry, it doesn't require any surgery or limb replacements. Instead, a microchip-sized pico projector beams images onto your skin. When you tap on these, the signals get picked up by the special armband equipped with a bio-acoustic sensing array built into it.
"We resolve the location of finger taps in the arm and hand by analyzing mechanical vibrations to propagate through the body," the research team states in their abstract. "We collect these signals using a novel array of sensors worn as an armband.This approach provides an always available, naturally portable, and on-body finger input system."
The armband contains five piezoelectric cantilevers, each one weighted to respond to certain bands of sound frequencies. A different combination of sensors are triggered depending on where you tap yourself.
Check out all the details here (PDF).
Image Credit: Microsoft Research and Carnegie Mellon University
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Gameaholic1337
March 03, 2010 at 3:50pm
Just needs to be in 3D and I'm one step closer to having my very own Omni-Tool like in Mass Effect 2.
lien_meat
March 03, 2010 at 2:23pm
so, it uses a sensor array to pick up the vibrations made by pushing the buttons with your finger right...
Imagine how hillarious it could be to try to watch someone use one of these while it's raining, or while it's really windy, or you are driving and hit a bump and it goes haywire and thinks they tried to hit a button. I like the idea, but there are SO many cases where it just isn't going to work as expected I'm guessing.
AkuPenguin
March 03, 2010 at 2:11pm
The catchphrase for this will be "Skinput -just touch yourself".
damazeen
March 03, 2010 at 10:23am
Thanks, but no thanks. Big pass on any chips inserted in me.
Here today, gone tomorrow. Live life.
Caboose
March 03, 2010 at 10:54am
"but don't worry, it doesn't require any surgery or limb replacements"
You didn't read did you... Nothing is injected, surgically inserted, etc. It's a projector and a wrist band you wear.
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
damazeen
March 03, 2010 at 10:25pm
Actually, I did read. But I doubt that many people will go for it as is. The technology behind it will get smaller and smaller. Major milestone will be when you can wear it as a wristwatch. Next milestone will be under your skin where it will back-project. You see, my personal philosophy is in life, you have to see where the road is going so you know when to switch lanes.
Here today, gone tomorrow. Live life.
Digital-Storm
March 03, 2010 at 8:25am
Yea, as soon as that gigantic clunky device on his arm goes away.
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