skinput

Minput brings mouse control to small devices

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have devised a prototype input technology that brings mouse control and optical motion tracking to very small mobile devices.

Minput, by Chris Harrison and Scott Hudson of CMU's Human-Computer Interaction Institute, effectively turns small mobile devices into mouse-like input tools. It was recently presented (PDF) at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Atlanta.

Harrison, whose Skinput device can turn parts of the body into a touch screen, says Minput could allow for matchbook-size media players controlled by moving them around on a surface like the palm of your hand.

The … Read more

Friday Poll: Gimme me some skin, man!

When we learned about an experimental technology earlier this week that turns your skin into an interactive surface, our collective skin crawled with delight. Skinput, developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft, is an acoustic bio-sensor armband that picks up sound patterns created when tapping a forearm or palm.

Specific acoustic signatures from different areas on the hand or forearm can be linked to functions like dialing a phone, operating an MP3 player, or playing Tetris. Pinching and flicking gestures can also be used for commands, and adding a pico projector to the armband can display menu selections … Read more

Buzz Out Loud Podcast 1177: Nerd freestyle

We stayed on the rails pretty well in this episode, but there's a whole long thing about cake toward the end that the chat room dubbed "nerd freestyle" and, well, we love that. In other news, new TiVo underwhelms a bit (other than the remote) and Viacom goes all anti-Internet with "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." That's the cake part.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) Episode 1177

TiVo unveils Series4 ‘Premiere’ DVRs with enhanced online integration http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10462438-1.html?… Read more

Turn your arm into a phone with Skinput

What if your skin could serve as an interactive surface? Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft have produced Skinput, an experimental device that turns the body's largest organ into a touch screen.

CMU's Chris Harrison and colleagues at Microsoft rigged up an acoustic bio-sensor to detect sound patterns created when tapping a forearm or palm. Each area has a specific acoustic signature that can be associated with functions like dialing a phone or playing Tetris. Pinching and flicking gestures can also be used for commands.

The video below shows how the system works. A bulky armband array … Read more