Skin-based interface transforms the body into a touchscreen
Touchscreen interfaces have seen many transformations over time, from small displays to large ones from cellphone displays to computers; they have been incorporated into just everything. Now a new skin-based interface dubbed the Skinput will get touchscreen flashing onto a user’s hands and arms. The interface being developed by Chris Harrison from Carnegie Mellon University with Dan Morris and Desney Tan at Microsoft's research lab uses a micro-sized pico projector and an acoustic detector which detects ultra-low frequency sounds generated by finger tapping on the skin.
The projector embedded in an armband beams a keyboard, menu and other graphics onto the user's forearm and hand, while the acoustic detector stationed in the armband senses the icon which the user touches. The included software then matches the sound frequencies with specific skin locations letting the interface identify the skin button (the icon on the skin) being pressed. The Skinput can well identify gestures even when the body is in motion, and as we learn, can also support wireless applications like Bluetooth for connectivity with electronics. This fancy yet feasible approach to use the body as an input device would be up on display at the Computer-Human Interaction meeting in Atlanta, Georgia in April.
Other novel interface concepts that'll make good someday:
This skin-based interface is surely a novel interface concept, which when complete would turn our own body into an input surface. But this isn’t the first unique interface concept which we will use in the days to come. While discussing the Skinput we thought it was worth bringing our memories live to the other few interface concepts which have made it to the fore over time.
Muscle-computer interface
Scott Saponas, a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington, has developed what he calls a muscle-computer interface, which along with other things allows the user to play Guitar Hero without a guitar. This lets you control the electronic devices without the need for physical touch, just like the other gestural interfaces of course, the difference here is that EMG electrodes directly sense the electrical signals in the arms to detect finger movements which mimic the button presses.
Touch-free interface
The in-air gesture input interface developed by researchers at Tokyo University is what you may be eyeing as a solution for touchscreens. The in-air movements of the finger are translated into commands by a high-frame-rate 3D camera, letting the user operate the portable device without a touch.
Microsoft’s transparent interface
The transparent glass interface from Microsoft Research lets the body to be used as a control mechanism, which recognizes inputs through touch-free gestures and eye-tracking. The content can be manipulated with the help of voice commands or some other notable hand gestures, and in case you’re concentrating too much on something particular, the computer interface can automatically enlarge the same based on the eye-tracking technology.
Pressure-sensing touchscreen interface
Using what’s called the quantum tunneling composite (QTC), that relies on a 75-micrometer technology, Paratech has developed a cost effective pressure-sensing touchscreen interface which differentiates between gentle touch and a hard poke. Paratech’s sensors placed on the perimeter of the touchscreen display very efficiently detect where — and how hard — the screen is being pressed, and thereby responds accordingly to it. The pressure-sensors need no power in a static state, and are good to respond to only 2mm response from the user.
