Magic fingers instead of touchscreen
Canadian scientists want to turn almost any surface a user interface for tablets and smartphones.
Meanwhile, hardly comes from a portable electronic device without a touchscreen: Whether smartphone, tablet or the new Windows 8 laptops, hardware will be affected. Here, the popular finger gestures of wiping over the tap to allow for spreading but always perform only in a restricted area - those surfaces, which gives access to the capacitive sensor. This stuck mostly in the screen, which means that the user in the operation always obscures part of the screen.
A team of computer scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of Alberta have developed a device that is intended from any surface can make a touch-sensitive user interface. The so-called Magic Finger consists of a mini camera that captures the environment - they analyzed, to which subject the show has just organ.
Up to 32 different surface textures, the system can distinguish with an accuracy of 98.9 percent, the researchers say - whether it's a desk, a piece of paper, a nylon fabric or a person's skin. Furthermore, can the Magic Fingers use as a computer mouse replacement. This must be the thimble device that is placed on the index finger, only on a flat surface such as a desk use.
The scientists, who are working with the software company Autodesk at the idea, have now developed various application scenarios for their invention. A carrier of the system could, for example, tap optimized for the Magic Finger graphical code in a magazine, with his smartphone to get more information - similar to the readable by mobile phone camera QR codes, only much faster and easier, especially.
In a meeting, suddenly starts to ring at tablet because a Skype call comes in, the last touch of the pocket in which the device plugged to stop the disturbance. If a user wishes to receive a presentation from one computer to another, it must only touch the two devices in series and starts transmission.
Autodesk's hoped that a connection to the professional CAD software company. For example, users could continue to interact directly with blueprints of paper without having to scan them. Autodesk technologist Shaan Hurley says that this results in fascinating ways. "Imagine if you could change textures, materials and lighting of a 3D model by using a finger on any surface."
The team led by computer scientists Xing Dong Yang calls her technique "Always-Available Input" - an input device that provides the user is always made freely available. The prototype system is in addition to the camera, a LED light and an optical system of only one sensor, which measures the light flux. However, the hardware has not been miniaturized, it is also connected by cable to a control computer.
A reduction is but little on the web. Should also be integrated even a Bluetooth module that allows a direct connection between Magic Finger, smartphones, tablets or laptops is produced. To wearing the "thimble" should get used pretty quickly.
What will the everyday use of technology could, the researchers want to explore next. To stand on user tests. Similar to early touchscreens can not yet do not say how the Magic Fingers could be used in practice - the aforementioned application scenarios are only the beginning and tested in practice very little. The idea has a "Always Available" interface but much charm, with observers.
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