• New technology could turn your arm into a touchscreen
    68 replies, posted
[quote] Finding the keypad on your cellphone or music player a bit cramped? Maybe your forearm could be more accommodating. It could become part of a skin-based interface that effectively turns your body into a touchscreen. Called Skinput, the system is a marriage of two technologies: the ability to detect the ultralow-frequency sound produced by tapping the skin with a finger, and the microchip-sized "pico" projectors now found in some cellphones. The system beams a keyboard or menu onto the user's forearm and hand from a projector housed in an armband. An acoustic detector, also in the armband, then calculates which part of the display you want to activate. But how does the system know which icon, button or finger you tapped? Chris Harrison at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, working with Dan Morris and Desney Tan at Microsoft's research lab in Redmond, Washington, exploit the way our skin, musculature and skeleton combine to make distinctive sounds when we tap on different parts of the arm, palm, fingers and thumb (see video). Bone machine They have identified various locations on the forearm and hand that produce characteristic acoustic patterns when tapped. The acoustic detector in the armband contains five piezoelectric cantilevers, each weighted to respond to certain bands of sound frequencies. Different combinations of the sensors are activated to differing degrees depending on where the arm is tapped. Twenty volunteers tested the system and most found it easy to navigate through icons on the forearm and tap fingers to actuate commands. "Skinput works very well for a series of gestures, even when the body is in motion," the researchers say, with subjects able to deftly scroll through menus whether they moved up and down or flicked across their arm. The system could use wireless technology like Bluetooth to transmit commands to many types of device – including phones, iPods and even PCs. The researchers will present their work in April at the ACM Computer-Human Interaction meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Body control Pranav Mistry of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology warns that users will have to position the armband very precisely so the projection always appears in the right place. Nevertheless, Skinput looks a promising idea, says Michael Liebschner, director of the Bio-Innovations Lab at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, who has worked on bone acoustic conduction technology for gadget-to-gadget transmission. "This sounds a very feasible approach to using the body itself as an input device," he says. "When you are immersed in a virtual game using a head-mounted 3D display, you cannot just take it off to fiddle around with control buttons. This will make things much easier."[/quote] [img]http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn18591/dn18591-2_300.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn18591/dn18591-1_300.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18591-body-acoustics-can-turn-your-arm-into-a-touchscreen.html]Source[/url]
And it will never get used because people will bawl about it being "Too futuristic" or "Too much effort". Same with the cola recharger. Fucking general public.
Ok, there is a limit as to how far technology should advance in such a small time and we have clearly passed it!
Next - in brain interface
Came here thinking that we will would have screens in are arms. Disappointed.
No thanks, I'll stick to physical technology and not just some shit on my arm.
[img]http://thm-a01.yimg.com/nimage/290bfe20c6262f48[/img] My first thought at the thread title. Also, I agree with radioactive on this: hardware is more reliable and reparable.
[QUOTE=Craptasket;20537371]Next - in brain interface[/QUOTE] A HUD would be awesome.
[QUOTE=Electrocuter;20537483]A HUD would be awesome.[/QUOTE] Not really, it would get in the way and would totally ruin the immersion.
but its light. Theres nothing to break if you can break light you deserve all the gold bullion on earth for accomplishing the task.
[QUOTE=radioactive;20537506]Not really, it would get in the way and would totally ruin the immersion.[/QUOTE] That is the silliest thing i've ever heard.
[IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fi3--GMFkhc/SNkVwl8wjjI/AAAAAAAAAbM/ytpyO12-X6w/s320/26-brody-hand-phone.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=Ekalektik_1;20537460][img]http://thm-a01.yimg.com/nimage/290bfe20c6262f48[/img] My first thought at the thread title. Also, I agree with radioactive on this: hardware is more reliable and reparable.[/QUOTE] [img]http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/22506/929247-engineer_super.jpg[/img]
You still have to get the projector sticking out from your arm, which is a bit cumbersome. Perhaps HUD sunglasses plus motion-sensitive gloves.
Saw it on dn.se
[QUOTE=DireAvenger;20537323]And it will never get used because people will bawl about it being "Too futuristic" or "Too much effort". Same with the cola recharger. Fucking general public.[/QUOTE] The same could have been said about touch screens 10 years ago. This will probably come out, be relatively shitty and unreliable, and remain stagnant for a long time. Then it'll get more reliable and it'll be the next big thing. Remember shitty touchscreen PDA's in the early 2000s? Same deal.
[QUOTE=nikola631;20537377]Came here thinking that we will would have screens in are arms. Disappointed.[/QUOTE] Give me a cell phone. a hacksaw, and your arm and I'll bloody well give you an in-arm touchscreen. :ese:
Predator arms fuck yeah!
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;20538250]Give me a cell phone. a hacksaw, and your arm and I'll bloody well give you an in-arm touchscreen. :ese:[/QUOTE] yes plz
I'll just wait for holograms.
But people would draw dick and shit on my arm.
This plus a really bright OLED screen under you skin would be awesome, unless you're black, then the screen wouldn't work.
It seems that no-one actually read the news. It's not a screen IN your arm, it's just a little projector projecting the buttons on your arm
[QUOTE=madjawa;20539354]It seems that no-one actually read the news. It's not a screen IN your arm, it's just a little projector projecting the buttons on your arm[/QUOTE] Which sucks ass.
[QUOTE=radioactive;20537506]Not really, it would get in the way and would totally ruin the immersion.[/QUOTE] What are you talking about? Think about it. A soldier could have orders streamed in real-time to his helmet, he could even get information about his weapon. Whearas a civilian could have his bank balance, twitter or facebook feed, the location of his car ect. The possibilities would be endless.
[QUOTE=MachiniOs;20539458]What are you talking about? Think about it. A soldier could have orders streamed in real-time to his helmet, he could even get information about his weapon. Whearas a civilian could have his bank balance, twitter or facebook feed, the location of his car ect. The possibilities would be endless.[/QUOTE] You didn't pick up the joke did you?
[QUOTE=Ekalektik_1;20537460][img]http://thm-a01.yimg.com/nimage/290bfe20c6262f48[/img] My first thought at the thread title. Also, I agree with radioactive on this: hardware is more reliable and reparable.[/QUOTE] :allears:
[QUOTE=Dr Bob;20537625][img]http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/22506/929247-engineer_super.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] i think he stuffs his crotch plate
I hoped something like this (1:00): [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzFpg271sm8[/media]
While fapping, you accidentally call your grandmother.
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