Communications of the ACM
Wearable Depth-Sensing Projection System Makes Any Surface Capable of Multitouch Interaction
Credit: Courtesy of Carnegie Mellon University
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft have developed OmniTouch, a wearable projection system that enables users to turn any object into a graphical, interactive surface.
OmniTouch is equipped with a depth-sensing camera that tracks the user's fingers on a surface. The projector can superimpose keyboards and other controls onto any surface, automatically adjusting for the surface's shape and size.
"It's conceivable that anything you can do on today's mobile devices, you will be able to do on your hand using OmniTouch," says Carnegie Mellon Ph.D. student Chris Harrison.
Although the current model is mounted on a user's shoulder, future models could be the size of a deck of cards or a matchbox, so that it could fit into a pocket or be integrated into other handheld devices. In addition, OmniTouch does not require calibration, which means users can just wear the device and immediately use its features.
"We see this work as an evolutionary step in a larger effort at Microsoft Research to investigate the unconventional use of touch and gesture in devices to extend our vision of ubiquitous computing even further," says Microsoft researcher Hrvoje Benko.
From Carnegie Mellon University
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