October 12, 2007
Transparent' gadget could trump iPhone interface
A touch-sensitive gadget with the sensing panel on its back, instead of the screen, is being developed by US researchers, reports New Scientist.
"Using your fingers behind the device allows a firmer grip and more accurate performance without obscuring your view of the screen, they say.
Multi-touch interface technology hit the commercial market this year, with the US release of Apple's iPhone in June. But the iPhone's touchscreen is not perfect, says Daniel Wigdor of Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs (MERL) and the University of Toronto, Canada.
"As soon as you put your hands on the display you [obstruct] the screen," he says, something he calls the "occlusion problem". Users of iPhones have other problems too, he adds. "Multi-touch devices detect the entirety of the touch area,” Wigdor continues. "That's what we call the 'fat finger' problem."
The two problems combined make it difficult to select precise targets, such as the keys on a virtual keyboard.
Wigdor at MERL, and Patrick Baudisch at Microsoft Research and their co-authors have a novel solution to these problems. Their prototype, LucidTouch, is a device that can be held comfortably in two hands, similar to the PlayStation Portable (watch video)."
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