Tag Archives: capacitive

Sony patent claims touch force detection via microphone

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Sony patent claims touch pressure detection via microphone

In the annals of "clever patents that may never amount to anything," we now have an entry from Sony: a method of sensing touch strength with sound. Since capacitive touchscreens can't detect pressure on their own, a second film is needed that can add weight and cost. Sony's freshly granted patent claims that a microphone can take on that job instead by listening to the sound your finger or stylus makes when it hits the screen and deducing force from that. It could also be used with a camera-based position detection system as shown above, meaning your finger's location and force could be calculated on a non-active surface like an ordinary table. Obviously such a device would only detect taps, not presses, and Sony has claimed a calibration method that the average user may not want to bother with. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time of filing (2009) when other force-sensing options had yet to hit market, but this one seems unlikely to see daylight -- though, you never know.

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Source: USPTO

Apple patent would have devices sense a squeeze through metal

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Apple patent would have devices sense a squeeze through metal

Apple likes to build devices using metal. Unfortunately, the material isn't usually conducive to touch, in the literal sense of the word -- capacitive touch doesn't always register on a metal gadget, and you can often forget about a response to pressure. A newly published patent from the company could at last get these unfeeling devices to acknowledge our grip without putting sensors above the surface. Apple's method would detect the changes in capacitance between hidden nodes when a device's shell is put under strain, and trigger a hardware or software reaction when there's a strong-enough squeeze. The concept is simple enough. Just what Apple would like to do with the patent, if anything, is the real riddle. The patent was originally filed in 2009, and covers just about everything computer- or mobile-based that Apple could produce; any burning desire to use the technique would likely have been satisfied by now. If our future iPhones or Macs ever answer a hug with more than just cold indifference, though, we'll know why.

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Source: USPTO

Atmel’s XSense technology’s will make curved touchscreens possible (hands-on)

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Atmel's XSense technology's will make curved touchscreens possible handson

Atmel's XSense technology made its debut way back in April of 2012, but today ASUS became the first big name gadget maker to commit to using the tech -- pledging to put it in an unnamed next-gen tablet set to debut in Q1 of this year. For those unfamiliar, XSense is a capacitive touch sensor that can be bent and bonded to surfaces of any shape. We got to see XSense for ourselves at CES today and chat with its makers to learn a little more about it.

While there are no technical limitations to the size of its touch sensors, Atmel's technology is currently limited to a max size of 32 inches due to manufacturing constraints. However, the company has plans to increase that fabrication size at its Colorado manufacturing facilities. We got to test out the technology on a piece of Corning Gorilla Glass bonded imbued with XSense (alas, no ASUS tablet sneak peeks to be had), and can confirm that the technology does work quite well. The company sees its touch sensor as a way for device makers to utilize currently unused edge real estate on phones and tablets, in addition to providing designers with more flexibility when creating gadgets. Of course, we'll have to see what kind of creative ways ASUS and other OEMs implement XSense, but you can see some shots of the sensor film and Atmel's demo unit in our gallery below.

Gallery: Atmel XSense touchscreen technology hands-on

Continue reading Atmel's XSense technology's will make curved touchscreens possible (hands-on)

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BeetBox drops a beat with a side of Raspberry Pi, and other plant puns (video)

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BeetBox drops a beat with a side of Raspberry Pi, and other plant puns video

Sometimes the plays on words are unavoidable -- in fact, they form the very heart of Scott Garner's recent musical creation. His BeetBox turns six of its namesake root vegetables into drum pads through SparkFun capacitive touch sensors, all of which are controlled by (what else?) a Raspberry Pi. Cleverness goes beyond the core technology and food jokes, as well. All of the circuitry and audio equipment is hidden within the wood box, making it look more like a horticultural project than machinery. We don't mind the lack of production plans when there's source code available; we're mostly curious as to what in our garden would make for a good rhythm section.

[Image credit: Scott Garner, Flickr]

Continue reading BeetBox drops a beat with a side of Raspberry Pi, and other plant puns (video)

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Via: Gizmag

Source: Scott Made This

Disney Research develops capacitive touch that detects multiple users through their fingertips (video)

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Disney Research develops capacitive touch that detects multiple users by their fingertips video

Creating a truly multi-user, multi-touch display is a tricky prospect. How do you know who's who short of turning the screen into one giant fingerprint reader? Chris Harrison, Ivan Poupyrev and Munehiko Sato at Disney Research have suggested in a paper that fingerprinting on a capacitive touchscreen isn't far off -- it's just what we need to fingerprint that matters. Rather than look for physical ridges, the scientists' method sweeps through AC frequencies to find the exact electrical impedances of fingertips in contact with the screen. Different bodies, different clothes and even different shoes give everyone a unique signature that lets the screen identify specific people, even when they each have multiple fingers in play. The researchers propose that the technique would work well in collaborative workspaces, personalized devices and security, but let's not forget that this is Disney we're talking about: it's placing a strong emphasis on the prospects for shared screen gaming without the limitations we know today. While any practical use is still some distance away, it's easy to see future tablets and tables that are designed from the start to encourage a little socializing.

Continue reading Disney Research develops capacitive touch that detects multiple users through their fingertips (video)

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Disney Research develops capacitive touch that detects multiple users through their fingertips (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney’s Botanicus Interacticus Lets You Play Plant Hero

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Not content with turning inanimate objects into touch sensitive interfaces, Disney Research is now developing a noninvasive technology they call Botanicus Interacticus, which turns plants into touch sensitive input devices.

botanicus interacticus by disney research

In simple terms, an electrode is buried into the soil where a plant has taken root. This allows Disney’s researchers to apply a weak current to the plant at multiple frequencies. The use of multiple frequencies helps the researchers identify not just when but also where the plant is being touched. These signals can then be used in a variety of ways – the demo below shows plants being used to play music and video.

Imagine having just a couple of plants inside your room instead of switches. Or perhaps you can make it so your door will only unlock when you touch a nearby plant in a certain way. That sounded wrong, but you get what I mean.

[via BuzzFeed]


DIY 3D Tracking Interface: Leap on the Cheap

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The Leap motion controller is one of the most hyped gadgets unveiled this year, and it really is promising. But if you can’t wait until next year to have a 3D tracking interface, MAKE knows a way to make one using readily available tools.

diy 3d touchless tracking interface

The project is based on the RC time constant, which in simple terms is the time it takes to charge a capacitor. It has three cardboard plates covered with aluminum foil and connected to an Arduino Uno. When your hand (or any part of your body) approaches the plates, the capacitance of the plates change. A complementary program then interprets the changes to determine your hands’ position.

Head to MAKE for the full instructions for making the sensor. Obviously it’s not as accurate as the Leap or the Kinect, but at the very least you’ll have built something that show how capacitive sensors work. I’m sure more advanced tinkerers will find ways to make it more functional.

[via The Viral Trend]

 


Disney Research’s Botanicus Interacticus adds capacitive touch to ordinary plants, we go hands-on

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Disney Research's Botanicus Interacticus adds capacitive touch to ordinary plants, we go handson video

Sure, you spend plenty of time talking to your plants, but have you ever made them sing? In partnership with Berlin-based Studio NAND, Walt Disney's experience development arm, coined Disney Research, has found a way to take human-plant interaction to an almost freakish level. The project's called Botanicus Interacticus, and centers around a custom-built capacitive sensor module, which pipes a very low current through an otherwise ordinary plant, then senses when and where you touch. Assuming your body is grounded, the device uses more than 200 frequencies to determine exactly where you've grabbed hold of a stem. Then, depending on how it may be programed, the sensor can trigger any combination of feedback, ranging from a notification that your child is attempting to climb that massive oak in the yard again, to an interactive melody that varies based on where your hand falls along the plant.

Because this is Disney Research, the company would most likely use the new tech in an interactive theme park attraction, though there's currently no plan to do much more than demo Botanicus Interacticus for SIGGRAPH attendees. This week's demonstration is giving the creators an opportunity to gather feedback as they try out their project on the general public. There's four different stations on hand, ranging from a stick of bamboo that offers the full gamut of sensitivity, including the exact location of touch, to an orchid that can sense an electric field disruption even as you approach for contact. While interactive plants may not have a role in everyday life, Botanicus Interacticus is certainly a clever implementation of capacitive touch. You can see it action just past the break.

Gallery: Disney Research Botanicus Interacticus hands-on

Continue reading Disney Research's Botanicus Interacticus adds capacitive touch to ordinary plants, we go hands-on

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Disney Research's Botanicus Interacticus adds capacitive touch to ordinary plants, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos Child Pad gets capacitive screen upgrade, minor price hike to $140

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Archos Child Pad gets capacitive screen upgrade, minor price hike to $140

Parents who've already purchased Archos' 7-inch Child Pad may be feeling somewhat miffed, as its screen's been upgraded from resistive to capacitive just two months after launch. There's no such thing as free multi-touch, so you'll have to fork out another ten bucks on top of the original asking price for the new version of the ICS slate, bringing the total to a cent under $140. Other internals are identical, so customers can still expect a 1GHz ARM processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of expandable storage, with some exclusive chipmunk-based content to boot. Just remember to let the kids have a go once in a while.

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Archos Child Pad gets capacitive screen upgrade, minor price hike to $140 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad Air Hockey with Capacitive Strikers

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ipod air hockey iPad Air Hockey with Capacitive Strikers
Turn your iPad into an air hockey set with the iPieces iPad Air Hockey set iPad Air Hockey with Capacitive Strikers. The set comes with a pair of capacitive strikers and a free download of the iPiece Air Hockey app. You and a buddy each place the strikers on top of the iPad and you can play air hockey just like a regular air hockey table but smaller and digital. Does this make it the world’s first travel air hockey table? Sort of. Either way, prepare for some fun knuckle bruising action.

buy now iPad Air Hockey with Capacitive Strikers

iPad Air Hockey with Capacitive Strikers