If you're a skinny-fingered 13-year old girl, texting and dialing on today's ever-shrinking keypads is no big deal. But for the rest of us adults—particularly guys over 200 pounds and ladies with any kind of fingernails—using today's keypads can be pretty frustrating. Reading those tiny screens can be a challenge as well.
The solution? A device that uses the human body as keyboard and screen. Developed collaboratively by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft, the ingenious device uses the different sounds (acoustic patterns) emitted when we tap various parts of our skin. Dubbed as Skinput, the technology utilizes five piezoelectric cantilevers to detect sound frequencies and respond to different “skin zones” that correspond to an icon, menu or key. The system can detect specific skin locations with 95.5% accuracy, similar to most touchscreen devices.
Armed with Skinput, you could literally snap your fingers to answer your cell phone or switch tracks on your portable music player. Various subtle hand gestures could be customized to effortlessly control devices in your pocket through a Bluetooth connection. Fitted with a pico-projector, Skinput could display a digital keyboard on your forearm. Imagine sending text messages by tapping keys displayed on your arm –all without ever struggling to dig the phone out of your pocket or purse.
A prototype of the “Skinput” system currently straps to the upper arm. Eventually the device will be no larger than a wristwatch. See the Skinput Video.
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Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.
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