The Disney Research Hub, along with researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, are working on adding touch sensitivity to objects that are interacted with on a daily basis including doorknobs, tables, the human body and even liquids.
The system, which they call Touché, makes use of a Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing technique that recognises multiple touch configurations by measuring across several signal frequencies. The team has demonstrated this technology, showing how Touché is able to detect body gestures and even how many fingers have been submerged in water, and have also outlined a few possible uses for the system.
Smart doorknobs which display messages based on how the door is closed, locking the door when the user is gone for the day and a wholly human-based mobile device interface are two of these applications. Intelligent couches, human training (which, in the video below, bears a disturbing resemblance to a behavioural experiment) and additional touch-based interactions with mobile devices are also possibilities.
Disney Research’s Ivan Poupyrev is quoted as saying, “In our laboratory experiments, Touché demonstrated recognition rates approaching 100 percent. That suggests it could immediately be used to create new and exciting ways for people to interact with objects and the world at large.”
Source: Ars Technica