Windows Touch – The World Is At Your Fingertips

It was indeed a relief when the touchscreen interface came into effect. The use of the fingers on the cell phone display made everything seem too easy. Navigation was a cinch and no one can discount the glamorous part as well. Well, the PC world has woken up to the fact that this could be a great investment for them too. Windows Touch has entered the world of multitouch technology. It comes with the integration of Windows 7 with a touchscreen PC. Just a tap of the fingertips and the whole display transforms under your eyes. The multitouch gestures have been modeled on the very same gestures that you used to make with the mouse. The double click has been transformed into two consecutive taps of the fingertips.

3D Object Manipulation with Multi Touch

Multitouch in 3D

Copying MTMini Multi Touch

This post is a chronicle of how I built a cheap multi-touch by consulting Howto guide of MTMini. Just for fun.

Patent Application of Apple Magic Mouse

US20090273570 illustrates how Apple Magic Mouse works. Compare it with other Magic Mouse teardown reports.

Apple and Microsoft Multi-Touch Mice – Resources

Apple and Microsoft independently unveiled multi touch mice. They are not only children of old WIMP interaction but also fathers of new touch UI paradigm – What You Hold Knows What You Want.

Touch User Interface Twitter Update for the Week (2009-12-21 - 2009-12-28)

• Keystick – An Extremely Handy Multi-foldable Portable Keyboard!: With every gadget having the single goal to be... http://bit.ly/6ibolz (Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:50:17 +0000)

Keystick – An Extremely Handy Multi-foldable Portable Keyboard!

With every gadget having the single goal to be small and handy, portable gadgets are much in demand rather than the heavier and bigger devices. Talk about a thin netbook or a small mobile phone, all we need is small items that takes less space while packing and doesn’t add to the weight of your backpack. Foldable and Portable devices are much in demand as they are easy to carry and more refined now a days. This is the reason why manufacturers want to make devices smaller and smaller. If you find the keyboard of your laptop is too clumsy, then you can always try a Multi Foldable Portable Keyboard. Designed to fit all your keyboard needs without giving you a small enough keyboard space, this portable device is very easy to type. Still in the concept stage, Keystick would prove to be a smart device to carry with your mobile phone or small laptop.

E-Skin: Inspired By the Chameleon

Wouldn’t it be great if we could customize colors just like we customize caller tunes in cell phones? We could change the color of the cell phone according to the dress that we wear. Similarly, mp3 players could change hues along with a change in song or type of music. In fact, the day is not very far away when this will be a reality. Philips has introduced an innovative technology called E-skin which will personalize electronic equipment. It is an exciting color e-paper technology which can change the appearance of any electronic gadget like a cell phone or an mp3 player with just the touch of a button. If we extrapolate our ideas then perhaps this technology can be used to alter the color of the wall or change the ambiance of the smart windows in the future.



E-paper or electronic paper is just like regular paper and uses visible light to create the change in color. There is no backlight involved and the vividness of the color remains the same under any lighting conditions. This technology makes sure that different colors are weaved into one layer which is all controlled separately. There can be a completely transparent layer, a totally dark one or one with a mixture of colors. And that’s not all; you can also get any shade you require by controlling the saturation of the colors. Since ambient light is behind this technology, it is energy efficient and portable too.

The E-skin technology is expected to make a small beginning with tiny gadgets like cell phones and mp3 players. But later on, it can go on to change the entire aura and décor of hospital diagnostic rooms and even fit the MRI and CT scanner to make the patient feel more comfortable. The process which makes this possible is called electrophoresis which uses an electric field to control the motion of surface charges of the particles in suspension. The technology behind monochrome e-paper was improved to adapt to polychrome ones too. The in-plane electrophoresis involves applying an electric field parallel to the surface of a suspension containing a pixel with colored particles. The colored particles spread in all directions of the pixel turning it dark. Similar modifications can make it transparent and colorful too.

With everything being transformed into a lively and colorful atmosphere, life cannot remain untouched from the glories of it.

Philips electronic skin technology enables new chameleon-like ambience designs

Kent Displays already has implemented a working prototype of E-skin for mobile phones.

And here is a real life example of the concept ;)

Source: Philips Research Press Release

Touch Projector

Link: Touch Projector

Control large but non-touch displays with your touch handhelds

Disappearing Mobile Devices

Link: Disappearing Mobile Devices

How to interact with REALLY small devices?

Prof. Patrick Baudisch

Link: Prof. Patrick Baudisch

He has developed many cool touch UIs - Lumino, Nanotouch, Touch Projector, and Disappearing Mobile Devices, to cite a few.

Laboratoire d'informatique interactive

Link: Laboratoire d'informatique interactive

LII is a laboratory of ENAC specialised in human-computer interaction (HCI) and its computing aspects. They have developed multitouch in the linux kernel, X.org, and been involved with several…

Braille Scanning

A few days ago, I’ve got an email from a reader saying “can u help me with the sensors to be used for sensing braille”. I’m not a specialist in assistive technologies nor recognition algorithms. But I determined to try to find an answer because touch UI, ironically, is related with assistive technologies for the visually impaired. And here I write down googling results about the topic.

Smartphone Market Trends

Smartphone Market Trends

View more documents from Justin Lee.

STMicroelectronics 5-DOF motion sensor LSM320HAY30

Link: STMicroelectronics 5-DOF motion sensor LSM320HAY30

It has 3-axis acceleration sensor and 2-axis pitch and yaw rate sensor. So, it fits most entry-level (e.g. handhelds) motion sensing.

VirtualAwesome

Link: VirtualAwesome

It is a cross platform app. framwork to enablemulti-focus interaction.

Tactile Sensing and Fabric Interface Videos – for a Coffee Break

Vision-based Tactile Sensing

GelSight achieves a high-precision tactile sensing. It can even detect fingerprints.

GelSight

Exploring the Potential of GelSight

GelForce at Tachi Lab utilizes a transparent elastic material, two layers of blue and red markers, and a camera. When a user touches GelForce, the blue and red markers are distorted. The camera acquires the image and calculate the magnitude and direction of the applied force.

GelForce - SIGGRAPH 2004 Emerging Technologies

Hairy Tactile Sensing

Fibratus tactile sensor provides a new way of sensing mothers’ soft touches. This hairy (furry?) sensor is composed of flexible fibers, silicon rubbers, patterned surfaces and a CCD camera.
[1]    S. Saga, S. Kuroki, N. Kawakami, and S. Tachi, "Fibratus tactile sensor using reflection on an optical lever," in SIGGRAPH 2007 Emerging Technologies, 2007. http://files.tachilab.org/intconf2000/saga200708SIGGRAPHETECH.pdf

Fibratus Tactile Sensor - SIGGRAPH 2007 Emerging Technologies

Fibratus Tactile Sensor

Fabric User Interfaces

Eleksen SideShow bag for Windows Vista

Eleksen Fabric Keyboard

Robot Skins (A.K.A Eskins or Electronic Skins)

Tactile Robotic Hand - Featured on Hacked Gadgets

PPS RoboTouch for WillowGarage PR2

Tactile Sensor

Highly Conductive Film That Can Stretch :DigInfo

University of Tsukuba Human Skin-Like Thin, Flexible Pressure Sensor : DigInfo

Kinotex Pressure Sensor

 

Updated Feb. 28, 2010

 

Capacitive Tactile Sensor

polymer based flexible capacitive tactile sensor array at Micro Technology Laboratory, University of Washington

 

Optical Tactile Sensor Applied to 3D Interface Control

Optical Tactile Sensor Applied to 3D Interface Control

ACM SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 papers - TOC

TOC of ACM SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 has been released. Check it out at ACM Digital Library.

Qgo: Sphere 3D Controller

Navigating 3D virtual space with this sphere-shaped controller.

via rb.trends

Display on a Button

CACM’s new article “Mobile Web 2.0 with multi-display buttons” proposes a intriguing interaction technology by fusing displays and buttons

Magnetic Touch Sensing

Resistive, Capacitive, and now Magnetic Touch!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/UTmOPY9icwQ]

Touch User Interface Twitter Update for the Week (2009-12-14 - 2009-12-21)

• I'm going to use Yammer http://www yammer.com RT @karthur: Anybody use Socialcast or other hosted microblogging/blogging services for... (Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:29:02 +0000)
• BumpTop on the Mac http://bit.ly/5Jf8YA (Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:38:36 +0000)

GUIdebook: Graphical User Interface gallery

Link: GUIdebook: Graphical User Interface gallery

Check out this great #gui resource site.

Avatar Movie AR Game: Time to Get Going!

Avatar: The Movie (New Extended HD Trailer)

The world is all agog to hear the ranting and raving about the new movie “Avatar”. The latest technology doing the rounds in this movie is augmented reality. This technology makes sure that as soon as an item is held up to a webcam, you get to see movable 3D images or games on the computer screens. This technology is now being proclaimed as the newest marketing tool in the games world. Some of the famous studios have already acquired augmented reality but the credit for making it a household name will rest with James Cameron, the maker of Avatar. The movie is being released by Fox and will have Mattel as the official toymaker of the film. The promotion bit is being handled by Coca Cola Co. and McDonald’s. Augmented reality has become a part and parcel of the strategy to promote this film by all these partners.

NIST Mobile iD

Link: NIST Mobile iD

#UX design of mobile fingerprint device developed by NIST, to help FBI Hostage Rescue Team

NextWindow Wins Again with Top PC Maker

Inspiron One 19 the Latest Desktop Product from Dell to Use NextWindow Touch Screens

Pleasanton, CA – December 16, 2009 – NextWindow, the world’s leading provider of optical touch screens for desktop PCs and monitors, today announced that another all-in-one PC using NextWindow touch screens has begun shipping.  Top computer maker Dell is now offering the Inspiron One 19, an all-in-one PC featuring a 19” touch screen from NextWindow.  The Inspiron One 19 is the third desktop PC or monitor from Dell to include NextWindow touch screens.  The others—the Dell Studio One 19 all-in-one PC and the Dell SX2210T desktop monitor—already have been announced.

Dell is one of many high-profile PC makers to have selected NextWindow. Among the other Touch PCs using NextWindow touch screens are the Medion X9613, the NEC ValueStar W, and the Sony L Series.

“NextWindow is preferred by the largest PC makers because optical technology is ideal for desktop products and NextWindow offers the most mature optical technology on the market,” said Al Monro, CEO at NextWindow.  “In short, we represent the lowest risk and the greatest possible return for Dell and the other top PC and monitor manufacturers.”

About NextWindow

NextWindow is a leader in touch-screen technology and a major manufacturer of optical multi-touch displays for OEMs, ODMs and resellers.  With highly accurate, cost-effective solutions designed for personal and business use, NextWindow provides the hardware necessary to bring touch-screen technology to life—giving software designers the freedom to create exciting and intuitive applications.  Founded in 2000, NextWindow is privately held with offices in New Zealand, Taiwan, California and Singapore, with manufacturing facilities throughout Asia.  More information about NextWindow is available at www.nextwindow.com.

Company contact:

David Villarina, NextWindow

+1 (925) 272-4530
dvillarina@nextwindow.com

[Thanks, NextWindow]

E Ink remote control for Rovio demo’d [Video] - SlashGear

Link: E Ink remote control for Rovio demo’d [Video] - SlashGear

I can’t understand why they use a E-ink display for just controlling robot.

Tongue Display Unit: It Is Time for the Tongue to Perceive

When we perceive the world around us with our eyes, we seldom realize the gift that we have got. Eyes are so precious that it is difficult to imagine how the blind can manage their life without this beautiful creation. To help the blind overcome their incapacity to see and read, Braille was discovered as a medium of instruction. But today, there is a still more ingenuous device being built which can enable the blind to “see” with their tongue. Although difficult to envisage, a Tongue Display Unit (TDU) can introduce electro tactile signals in the tongue which will help transmit visual images to the brain.

tactile force sensors. Tactex Controls Inc. Kinotex

Link: tactile force sensors. Tactex Controls Inc. Kinotex

Tactex Controls Inc. designs custom tactile force sensors using Kinotex (based on wave guide coupling) . Tactex sensors are used in applications that require touch sensitive or pressure mapping…

Entourage eDGe Dual Screen eBook Reader on Video | GottaBeMobile.com

Link: Entourage eDGe Dual Screen eBook Reader on Video | GottaBeMobile.com

Real Time Text-to-Braille Scnner

via Real-Time Text-to-Braille Scanner | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

Sony’s New Motion Controller Patent Conjures up Many Add-On Possibilities

Not even Nintendo could have imagined the plethora of possibilities which Sony has envisioned. This time, Sony wants to be one up on the peripheral-happy Nintendo by exploring a number of possibilities for a forthcoming motion controller with a variety of attachments. This has come to light when Sony Computer Entertainment launched a patent for "Expandable Control Device Via Hardware Attachment". It proclaims the possibility of combining two motion controller units length-wise or in the H-shape. This will provide a number of control options which will even put the Wii remote to shame. A unique, secondary controller attachment may put together one DualShock and one motion controller. This prototype was mentioned as a possibility at Sony’s Tokyo Game Show press conference.

Swype | Text Input for Screens

Link: Swype | Text Input for Screens

Hot Virtual Keyboard

Link: Hot Virtual Keyboard

Hot Virtual Keyboard is the Windows virtual keyboard software for Windows and Touchscreens.

BiDi Screen

Link: BiDi Screen

Official homepage of MIT’s BiDi LCD integrated 3D gesture & multitouch interface

Portable Braille Interface ‘Squibble’ Lets Blind Access A Cellphone - The Design blog

Building a Capacitive Liquid Sensor

Link: Building a Capacitive Liquid Sensor

Capacitive sensing is not just for touch.

See also: Smart Measure Cup – Displays Volume Accurately!

First Else Phone Poised For a Grand Entry

It has been some time now since we have all been used to the iPhone touch screen interface. An inevitable evolution beckons a new type of interface which arrives in the form of the First Else phone. The unveiling of this phone occurred at a London event which is expected to have an official release sometime in the second quarter of next year. It is quite different from the touchscreen phones which we use today. It has a 3.5 inch display based on the Access Linux Platform operating system, better known as the Else Intuition OS. It provides a welcome change from the usual touch interface that we have in the phones of today.

Philco PC Retro Re-design by SchultzeWORKS designstudio » Yanko Design

Hands Free

Link: Hands Free

Melody Balloon

Finger Note Taking for the iPhone

Link: Finger Note Taking for the iPhone

Dan Bricklin’s Note Taker App for the iPhone | GottaBeMobile.com

“I’m not convinced the iPhone’s small screen is suited for this kind of note taking, but I’ll be anxious to see how I feel about this app once I’ve tested it out a bit more.”

NetPad-The Ultimate Mobile Computer for Future | Industrial Design and Future Technology

Transparent iPhone Concept Design

Link: Transparent iPhone Concept Design

RFR IPhone Next Lets The User Change Its Dimensions - The Design blog

FUSE UI: Really Fusion Touch UI

Synaptics has unveiled a concept touch UI prototype called FUSE. Yes, the name does reflect the heart of the UI since it is literally an elegant fusion of all possible touch UIs - multi-touch, grip-sensing, back-of-side interaction, haptics, 3D interface, and so forth.

Let’s see excerpts from its press release:

“Integrating for the first time multiple interface technologies—including multi-touch capacitive sensing, haptic feedback, 3-D graphics, and force, grip, and proximity sensing”

“Fuse’s innovative sensing technologies surrounding the entire device enable quick, intuitive, single-handed navigation. For example, grip sensing achieved via force and capacitive touch sensors on the sides of the phone allows the user to execute common controls such as pan and scroll. In addition to the novel side sensors, Fuse introduces for the first time, 2D navigation from the back of the phone. This feature offers yet another mode of effective and fun single-handed control without obstructing the display or enhanced usability, Fuse combines multiple sensory input and feedback technologies including active 3-D graphics and next-generation haptic effects.”

FUSE UI

Synaptics Debuts FuseTM Next-Generation Mobile Phone Concept

Until now, information is not enough to fully describe FUSE UI. However, the most amazing part of FUSE UI is that it actively adopts grip-sensing technology. In the video clips above, you can find scenes that GUI is morphing and an application is launched as a user squeezes the phone.




It’s very exciting to witness so many emerging touch interfaces today. But don’t forget that those awesome devices are results of many years of hard and boring research works, for example:

• Hand Touch – Hand Sensing Mobile Devices
• [CHI2009] Double-side Multi-touch Input for Mobile Devices
• Double Sided Transparent Touch Screen
• nanoTouch: back-of-device touch user interface for really small devices

Links

• Synaptics
• Ubergizmo
• SlashGear

See also

• Suma Overtakes Wiimote with a Squeezable User Interface

Email Alert from Immersion about Fuse Phone Concept

Synaptics Debuts Fuse™ Next-Generation Mobile Phone Concept

Synaptics, Texas Instruments, Immersion, TheAlloy, and The Astonishing

Tribe demonstrate collaborative design to drive the future of mobile interaction beyond the touchscreen

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – December 14, 2009 -- Synaptics Incorporated (NASDAQ: SYNA), a leading developer of human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications, and entertainment devices, today introduced Fuse™, a collaborative mobile phone concept, demonstrating the future of user interaction for handsets. Integrating for the first time multiple interface technologies—including multi-touch capacitive sensing, haptic feedback, 3-D graphics, and force, grip, and proximity sensing—the Fuse concept phone showcases exciting new mobile device usage models. In addition, Fuse demonstrates to device manufacturers the value of ecosystem collaborations providing a model for designing multi-modal interfaces that will optimize the user experience on next-generation handheld device. Every step in the value chain affects and is affected by the end product. A truly collaborative approach takes advantage of each partner's unique contributions in benefiting the user.

Beyond Today's Touchscreen

Fuse extends the now-prevalent touchscreen-based user experience first unveiled in August 2006 with Synaptics' award-winning Onyx mobile concept. With Fuse's bold lineup of innovative interface technologies, Synaptics and partners tackle the difficulty of single-handed usage and the need to look at the screen—two key challenges faced by on-the-go users in current-generation touchscreen phones.

Fuse's innovative sensing technologies surrounding the entire device enable quick, intuitive, single-handed navigation. For example, grip sensing achieved via force and capacitive touch sensors on the sides of the phone allows the user to execute common controls such as pan and scroll. In addition to the novel side sensors, Fuse introduces for the first time, 2D navigation from the back of the phone. This feature offers yet another mode of effective and fun single-handed control without obstructing the display or enhanced usability, Fuse combines multiple sensory input and feedback technologies including active 3-D graphics and next-generation haptic effects.

"Consumers have many options when it comes to choosing a smartphone, and though many phones are loaded with applications to simplify one's life, they often accomplish just the opposite," said William Stofega, research manager for mobile device technology and trends at IDC. "Synaptics partnering with innovative industry leaders to deliver an intelligent concept device that has the consumers' lifestyles in mind will help showcase the true potential of the smartphone."

Collaborative Design

The Fuse mobile phone concept is the result of a unique collaboration between Synaptics and four global partners—TheAlloy, The Astonishing Tribe (TAT), Immersion, and Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI). With human interface and digital lifestyle in mind, the Fuse design team created a stunning and functional user interface with innovative new modes of sensing input, and visual and haptic feedback.

Each partner provided valuable expertise and contributions to the project:

• TheAlloy led the user experience and overall product design efforts.
• TAT enabled the effective 3-D environment and lent their extensive user interface software design skills.
• Immersion made possible the tactile feedback, ensuring an integrated and satisfying experience.
• TI's OMAP™ 3630 processor provided the framework and platform to leverage the enhanced multimedia, graphics and imaging features that consumers crave.

Additionally, Synaptics' ClearPad™, NavPoint™, and TouchButtons™ solutions are used in the Fuse mobile concept to offer unique capabilities—such as two-finger input, proximity sensing, grip sensing, text entry, and high-resolution finger input—providing precise pointing and navigation that can dramatically improve and enhance the user experience with a touchscreen.

Future handset innovation will rely on the relationship between technology design and designers to unlock the potential of mobile phones as an ideal computing platform. Fuse illustrates to OEMs the advances in Synaptics' sensing technologies and the collaborative effort that will inspire a new wave of multi-modal input design.

"The best touch experience requires the expertise and collaboration of ecosystem leaders to optimize what the user sees and feels," said Gopal Garg, senior vice president of Synaptics' handheld business unit and corporate marketing. "The improved sensory experience of Fuse will drive handset innovation to evolve, taking the current generation of touch-based interaction to the next level of human-device interaction."

"The Fuse project has demonstrated the power of multi-party collaboration to deliver experience-led innovation, said Gus Desbarats, chairman, TheAlloy. "Each partner within the Fuse project has helped to show the effect that leading-edge technology can deliver when applied with design thinking."

"Exceptional user experience differentiates the best designs," said Craig Vachon, senior vice president and general manager of Immersion's touch line of business. "Fuse exemplifies the power of collaboration and realizes what is possible by integrating innovative technology, including Immersion's next-generation TouchSense solutions. Working with these partners has been gratifying; Fuse is further validation that our haptics technology brings to life the power of touch and makes devices more intuitive, satisfying, and fun to use."

"Providing our technology in order to showcase user experience paradigms of next generation devices is one of the key ingredients that keep TAT ahead of the trends in mobile user interfaces", says Charlotta Falvin, chief executive officer of The Astonishing Tribe. "Realizing design ideas that push the limits of technology like the Fuse UI does is one of our passions."

"The world is changing, and so is the way people interact with their mobile devices. TI is excited to be a part of the innovative Fuse concept that reiterates the significant headway we're making to advance mobile user experiences," said Fred Cohen, director of worldwide ecosystem partners for Texas Instruments. "TI's OMAP platform works in sync with these other impressive technologies to bring big-screen, life-like capabilities to consumers' fingertips."

For more information on the Fuse mobile concept, visit http://www.synaptics.com/fuse Fuse will be demonstrated during CES in Las Vegas at the Synaptics, Immersion, and TI meeting areas, and at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February.

About Synaptics
Synaptics (NASDAQ: SYNA) is a leading developer of human interface solutions for the mobile computing, communications, and entertainment industries. The company creates interface solutions for a variety of devices including notebook PCs, PC peripherals, digital music players, and mobile phones. The TouchPad™, Synaptics' flagship product, is integrated into a majority of today's notebook computers. Consumer electronics and computing manufacturers use Synaptics' solutions to enrich the interaction between humans and intelligent devices through improved usability, functionality, and industrial design. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. www.synaptics.com

About TheAlloy
Based in Farnham in the UK, TheAlloy is a design consultancy with expertise focused on product design, interaction design, and strategy. TheAlloy help organizations deliver excellent user experiences by creating the look, feel and behavior of products and screen based interfaces. With work predominantly focused in the technology sector, TheAlloy are experts in hardware and software design for the telecommunications and convergence markets. We have worked with a wide range of brands including BT, Toshiba, HP, and Thomson.
For further information about Alloy please contact Geoff McCormick geoffm@thealloy.com, +44 (0)1252 712000. Visit our website at www.thealloy.com.

About Immersion
Haptic (touch) technology is key to the future of user experience in digital devices. Founded in 1993, Immersion harnesses human touch to create user experiences that deliver a more compelling sense of the digital world. Using one of Immersion's adaptable high fidelity haptic systems, partners can achieve a competitive advantage and greater revenue opportunities with products that are more intuitive, satisfying, efficient, and safe. With Immersion technology, world-class companies can deliver improved user experiences in products such as widely popular video games, leading video console gaming systems, advanced automotive driver controls, and award-winning mobile phones. Immersion manufactures its own line of medical simulators that incorporate touch technology. These virtual reality training tools, installed around the world, enable practitioners to improve their practice of sophisticated life-saving surgical procedures prior to operating on patients. With over 800 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries, Immersion is the leading innovator in touch-enabled user experiences that bring the digital universe to life. Learn more at www.immersion.com.

About TAT
TAT – The Astonishing Tribe AB has added the WOW-effect to mobile user interfaces for more than 300 million devices worldwide. Our products, TAT Cascades™ and TAT Motion Lab™, built on the renowned TAT Kastor™ platform, has transformed the way UI design and graphics can be implemented on a wide range of mobile devices. TAT products are recognized for their time-to-market savings, resource efficiency and platform independence, giving users a more dynamic, faster and richer multimedia experience, in a truly astonishing way. TAT is headquartered in Malmoe, Sweden, and with local offices in Korea and USA. Learn more at www.tat.se.

About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through design, sales and manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, go to www.ti.com.

Synaptics, ClearPad, TouchPad, NavPoint, TouchButtons, Fuse, and the Synaptics logo are trademarks of Synaptics in the United States and/or other countries.

All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information, please contact:
Rebecca Parr               
Synaptics
408-454-5178  
rparr@synaptics.com   
Tara Yingst
Edelman
650-762-2942
tara.yingst@edelman.com

Updated Dec. 16, 2009

Fuse™ Next-Generation Mobile Phone Concept

 

Updated Feb. 20, 2010

 

[via IntoMobile, Video: Hands-On with Synaptics Fuse]

 

Sneak Peak at Fuse, a Mobile Phone Concept with Synaptics Touch Sensors - CES 2010

Touch Panel Market Analysis Report - DisplaySearch

Link: Touch Panel Market Analysis Report - DisplaySearch

A screen-space formulation for 2D and 3D direct manipulation

Link: A screen-space formulation for 2D and 3D direct manipulation

A research trying to answer the question of “how to manipulate 3D object with multitouch surfaces?”

Multi Foldable Portable Keyboard Concept

Link: Multi Foldable Portable Keyboard Concept

Touch Sensing Chair, Literally

Link: Touch Sensing Chair, Literally

H. Z. Tan et al., “A Sensing Chair Using Pressure Distribution Sensors,” IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatronics, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 261-268, Sept. 2001

Pen de Touch - Tachi Lab

Link: Pen de Touch - Tachi Lab

Feeling haptic sensation in the air without vibrotactile feedback

Touch User Interface Twitter Update for the Week (2009-12-07 - 2009-12-14)

• Fabric Bend Sensor: Bending Under Pressure!: Can you imagine calculating the angle of bend when a ballet dancer i... http://bit.ly/8ODgmq (Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:54:18 +0000)
• Nice list RT @sensoryminds: List of Touch-enabled Software (both Games and Applications): http://bit.ly/5tt3HQ (via @lcorneliussen) (Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:19:28 +0000)

Flexible and deformable robot skin using optical sensors

A flexible tactile sensor with embedded optical sensors have been developed by Jeroen Missinne and colleagues at CMST (Center for Microsystems Technology), Ghent University in Belgium

Collaborative Visualization of an Archaeological Excavation

Link: Collaborative Visualization of an Archaeological Excavation

Digital desk using MERL DiamondTouch table.

Office of Tomorrow at Media Interaction Lab

Link: Office of Tomorrow at Media Interaction Lab

Power up your office with touch and AR technologies.

The Tiltable TouchKit TableTop (TTT)

Link: The Tiltable TouchKit TableTop (TTT)

I want to have a desk like it.

Hear the Alarm Bells Ringing With the Bio Circuit Vest

It has been some years now that bio circuits have been in action. They are a form of vibration healing which has been developed after several studies involving chemists, doctors, psychologists and other professionals. These bio circuits have a special healing capability which is brought about by balancing the bodily energy. This can be achieved by connecting the meridian terminations based in the hands to the points near the bottom of the spine and the base of the neck. The energy flows through the copper electrodes connected to the meridian via copper wires to the copper screen which radiate the energy. The whole experience brings energy flooding back to your veins and you feel rejuvenated.

Suma Overtakes Wiimote with a Squeezable User Interface

With video games riding the wave of popularity and manufacturers queuing up to devise more intuitive methods and interactive games, it is becoming increasingly important to create new types of gaming controls to help play them. It is easy to manipulate the movements when the protagonist is moving on the land in a particular game, but when he moves to the air or to the sea, it becomes difficult to translate the motions in all three directions. The Suma is a laudable effort to provide a 3D PC gaming control with squeezable user interface technology. The finger and hand grip movements are encoded in software form which helps to provide a sophisticated control of games and other computerized applications.

Wacom Multi-Touch Display: The Future of Touchscreen Devices!

Touchscreen technology has been widely used in many computing devices and has turned out to be hugely popular. The concept of getting applications open with just a finger touch appeals to everyone and the easier operation without having to click the mouse of press buttons yet carrying out regular tasks has its own charm. To mark the growth in touchscreen technology Wacom has now unveiled the multi-touch display. A technology still in its prototype stage, it can recognize multiple touches. While you operated on the touchscreens with just one finger, now you can use it like a key pad that converts your touch command and carries out functions.

Harlequin dual-touchscreen netbook mod is DIY Courier - SlashGear

Link: Harlequin dual-touchscreen netbook mod is DIY Courier - SlashGear

Gunze USA and Stantum Announce Partnership to Develop Multi-Touch Solutions for the North American Professional Market

BORDEAUX, France, December 8, 2009 – Stantum (www.stantum.com), a pioneer developer of multi-touch technology, and Gunze USA (www.gunzeusa.com), a world leader in resistive touch-panel manufacturing, today announced a partnership to co-design and deliver multi-touch solutions to the North American professional market.

The joint commitment will allow Gunze USA’s clients to benefit from Stantum’s multi-touch technology, with advantages such as:

·   10+ touches;

·   fingers and stylus input;

·   finger-pressure detection;

·   low power consumption; and

·   native Windows 7 support, with no driver required.

The two companies will co-design multi-touch modules based on the joint expertise of Stantum’s seven years of pioneering, proven multi-touch experience and Gunze USA’s leading manufacturing of touch-panels solutions, its workforce and its know-how.

“We are very pleased to work with Gunze USA,” said Francois Jeanneau, Stantum’s sales & business development director, North America. “Their superior quality of touch sensor solutions and their advanced manufacturing capabilities will enable North American customers to integrate multi-touch functionality into their products.”

Commented Aparna Sharma, president of Gunze USA: “We are excited to expand our product line and to include true multi-touch products in our portfolio. Stantum’s pioneering position in the industry now enables us to offer state-of–the-art multi-touch solutions to our existing and future customers.”

Gunze USA will provide these custom multi-touch modules to the North American market for use in industrial, automotive, defense, aerospace, medical, kiosk/point-of-sales, and other professional applications.

Unlike capacitive multi-touch, Stantum’s technology is particularly well suited to these professional markets, thanks to its:

·   immunity to EMI issues, via easy coexistence with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth antennas around the screen;

·   stylus input and high precision, enabling handwriting recognition; and

·   ability to work flawlessly with gloves.

With this agreement, Gunze joins Stantum’s growing network of qualified touch-solutions partners and will benefit from the multi-touch pioneer’s dedicated support and design services.

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About Gunze

Gunze (www.gunzeusa.com) is a world leader in resistive touch panel manufacturing. Gunze Ltd. Japan established Gunze USA in 1988 to better serve the needs of the North American market. Gunze works with OEMs and system integrators to design the most effective touch panel solutions. Gunze touch panels include polarizer and anti-reflective configurations with polycarbonate and glass substrates. Gunze designs and manufactures 4-wire, 5-wire and 8-wire touch sensors in their state-of-the-art facilities in North America and Asia for consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, medical, mobile, and POS/ kiosk applications.

About Stantum

Stantum (www.stantum.com) has been the pioneering company in multi-touch technology since 2002, and in 2005 was the first company to market commercial products using a truly reliable multi-touch user interface. Today, Stantum’s patented and breakthrough multi-touch technology portfolio is available under license of IP bricks and associated engineering and design services. Stantum is headquartered in Bordeaux, France.

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Editorial Contact

Neal Leavitt

Leavitt Communications

760-639-2900 or 760-212-9112

neal@leavcom.com

Multitouch + NUI: Ocarnia: This iPhone App Blows

Link: Multitouch + NUI: Ocarnia: This iPhone App Blows

Blow UI … a subset of acoustic touch sensing?

Multi-Touch Confusion - Forbes.com

Link: Multi-Touch Confusion - Forbes.com

“Straddling point-and-click and multi-touch user interfaces is causing trouble.”

How to make a flexible curved tactile display

Link: How to make a flexible curved tactile display

Wearalbe Light

Link: Wearalbe Light

HUGlight Flexible Hands Free Book Light » Coolest Gadgets

JooJoo gets hands-on video - SlashGear

Link: JooJoo gets hands-on video - SlashGear

Touch Bionics unveils world’s first bionic finger - SlashGear

Link: Touch Bionics unveils world’s first bionic finger - SlashGear

Dheka Riana - Optical touch mouse

Link: Dheka Riana - Optical touch mouse

| ||| | | weistudio || | ||| |

Link: | ||| | | weistudio || | ||| |

documenting DIY Mac tablet project

Anywhere MultiTouch: Leveraging Acoustics With Aplomb!

Since the day that the touch interface was first introduced, it has gained in recognition and functionality like nothing else. With a single touch being able to transform the entire display, navigation was becoming more natural and accessing the programs mere child’s play. In fact, touch sensitivity just got smarter with the installation of Anywhere MultiTouch, an extremely intuitive platform which uses piezoelectric sensors. The result of this innovation is that the entire device becomes touch sensitive instead of only the display. Sensitive Object is the French firm which developed this popular idea and now Motorola wants to capitalize on it. The technology involves deciphering the location of the touch through acoustic imaging.

Is Touch Prepared for Your Desk?

Touch on your desk

There are interesting articles discussing usefulness of touch in desktop computing environment [1-3]. The discussions are based on the usability of All-in-One PCs such as HP TouchSmart. All those articles say that it is not so convenient to use touch-enabled All-in-One PCs.


Fig. 1 HP TouchSmart

Building my FTIR LCD setup - lots of pics! - NUI Group Community Forums

Link: Building my FTIR LCD setup - lots of pics! - NUI Group Community Forums

Good reference for building LCD multitouch

LED Multi Touch Sensing

Taha Bintahir has posted helpful references to build LED multi touch.

LED Sensing ~ BI-Directional LEDs Part – I
LED Sensing ~ Bi-Directional LEDs – Part 2
LED Sensing
Bi-Directional LED Sensing Tips

Touch User Interface Twitter Update for the Week (2009-12-06)

• 05:40 RT @audio_news K.R.T X9 Multitouch Tablet runs Windows 7 bit.ly/8gqvwhsent #
• 05:47 Your feet can tell you somthing. RT @HapticsLSent Navigation by the Soles of Your Feet (and the Seat of Your Pants): bit.ly/5PDFqw #
• 22:09 Apple Tablet to Finally See the Light of Day: Image by Photo Giddy via FlickrIt seems that the obvious enthusia... bit.ly/5ZtQUa #
• 08:45 Magnify – Your Personal Librarian: Books have their own charm and even with the digital emergence and e-book re... bit.ly/4RoQEN #
• 12:01 Link: Dell SX2210T vs. HP L2105tm: optical multitouch head-to-head review -- Engadget tumblr.com/xin4d220b #
• 23:33 It has cool concept video clips. RT @kickerstudio: Adobe's ubicomp vision of the future: bit.ly/4RidpY (via @mikekuniavsky) #
• 23:35 Anyonr to buy it? RT @techflypaper: Multitouch 10.1″ DIY netbook touchscreen kits found on eBay bit.ly/7OWAq2 #
• 03:53 Touch Screen, Multi Touch, and Touch User Interface News: This page is intended to be an easy guide on what's going... bit.ly/5R9EyT #
• 05:25 Dell and HP Go Head on with Optical Multi-touch Technology!: The touch screen is now old and the war intensifies ... bit.ly/6X3vDo #
• 05:45 Engineering Windows 7: blog dedicated to the engineering of Microsoft Windows 7 bit.ly/7tKd3k #
• 05:45 MT4j - Multitouch For Java: MT4j - Multitouch for Java™ - is an open source Java™ development platform bit.ly/5bedah #
• 06:15 TouchMagix . Interactive floor | Interactive Wall | Projections | Advertisement | Technology . Interactive Surf.. www.touchmagix.com/ #
• 06:15 Public Information Display Market Trend Analysis and Forecast: Public Inf ormation Display Market is largely cat.. bit.ly/8x2owN #
• 07:24 DIY Multi Touch Kit from RAS International: Multi touch kit from Taiwanese company RAS International Corp has bee... bit.ly/7c5cCR #
• 09:22 Dolphin browser and QT 4.6 are hitting the web... #
• 12:02 Link: 4iThumbs: iPhone Gets Another Physical Keyboard Idea - iphone keyboard 4iThumbs - Gizmodo tumblr.com/xin4dwdyb #
• 13:03 Link: Thanks to the WikiReader, I am the smartest person in the room. » Coolest Gadgets tumblr.com/xin4dxmn7 #
• 14:03 Video: via ITS2009 tumblr.com/xin4dz0ni #
• 08:17 Hand Touch – Hand Sensing Mobile Devices: Multi touch is undoubtedly a hot topic in recent days. Hundreds of rese... bit.ly/4pZ3EO #
• 23:45 Evolving the Interface: It includes high quality illustrations of MS's vision of UI (from MS CTO Craig Mun.. bit.ly/6t4Ofe #
• 05:15 xenakis table: Xenakis is a multi-user instrument to stochastically create music with a tangible interface. xenakis.3-n.de/ #
• 05:15 FireTouch Framework www.firetouch.de/ #
• 07:45 Portable Recorder for Musicians: Music composers are a creative lot with immense talent and an undying craving to... bit.ly/4rTnto #
• 09:27 iPhone's touch screen might be used as a near field communication component, technically (via @kickerstudio is.gd/5biOK) #
• 09:32 guess it can't sense drag-and-hold. RT @slashgear: Motorola invest in Sensitive Object acoustic touchscreen specialists url.ag/6pyar8 #
• 12:03 Link: Apple Ideas - Dual-display concept laptop is always fancy. tumblr.com/xin4fk3uf #
• 13:11 Link: Hear your heart rate, differently - Bio Circuit * | design by dana Dana Ramler via... tumblr.com/xin4flhtx #
• 14:29 RT @MSSurface: Microsoft Surface blog: The first book on developing for Surface bit.ly/8biRHM #microsoft #surface #sdk #coding#design #
• 14:56 RT @IEEESpectrum: What Does Real-Time Search Mean to Google? bit.ly/5U9lgv #
• 21:15 On The Tabletop: Stefano Baraldi's blog. He is a researcher, consultant and inventor of interactive hardwa.. bit.ly/8F686M #
• 21:15 The Future of Digital Interaction: Dr. Edward Tse's blog on digital interaction. Dr. Tse has done many res.. bit.ly/6euZrd #
• 08:10 NVIDIA Tegra Tablet: Waiting In the Wings?: With all the hype surrounding the Apple Tablet and the expectation of ... bit.ly/674n1Y #