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Finger-Tracking Tech Turns Your Arm Into A Touchpad (gizmag.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the drag-and-drop dept.

New submitter Keys of Cars quotes a report from Gizmag: Smartwatches may be handy, but their tiny touchscreens can easily be obscured by your fingers as you're using them on the device. As a result, we've seen various attempts to move the control surface. One of the latest, Carnegie Mellon University's SkinTrack system, moves it onto your hand and lower arm. The strap of the smartwatch features multiple electrodes, which detects a ring that is worn on your "control finger" (on your non smartwatch-wearing arm) that emits a high-frequency electrical signal. When your finger, specifically the ring, approaches and/or touches the arm with the watch, the high-frequency electrical signal is propagated through the skin. It will work even if your skin is covered with clothing! The system is reportedly 99% accurate, and can locate touches with a mean error of 7.6mm. SkinTrack was used to control games, scroll through lists, zoom in and out of maps, draw pictures, and operate an onscreen number pad.

7 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. So... by suupaabaka · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...just my arm? ;D

    1. Re:So... by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 3, Funny

      Why? Looking into making micro-transactions?

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    2. Re:So... by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

      ...just my arm? ;D

      Adds a new meaning to the term "joystick"

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  2. accuracy by arth1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The system is reportedly 99% accurate, and can locate touches with a mean error of 7.6mm

    That seems pretty horrible, to be honest.
    Your big toe probably has better accuracy than that.

    1. Re:accuracy by dinfinity · · Score: 2

      Depends on the size of the surface. Have you watched the video?

      Much more problematic are the amount of input lag and the lack of a cursor (besides when hovering, which I imagine to be very tiresome).
      Concerning the latter: Making your arm a giant touchpad is awesome, but we generally don't use normal touchpads without cursors (for good reasons) and it seems silly to disregard that.

  3. No Ring by Tablizer · · Score: 2

    I figure the future will use hand gestures recognized by 3D triangulation + image recognition. You'll hold your hand over your screen and manipulate objects as if conducting an orchestra.

    Or Google-Glass-like viewing instead of a hand-held screen.

    A guy who was jailed in the 70's and released recently was taken back by people "talking to themselves" while walking down the street. Soon they'll also be conducting invisible orchestras.

    Unless direct brain inserts mature faster.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  4. Testudo by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

    Strap a Wacom tablet to your arm. As a bonus, you can use it as a shield.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."