Skinput: Appropriating the Body as an Input Surface (CHI 2010)

http://www.chrisharrison.net/projects/skinput

We present Skinput, a technology that appropriates the human body for acoustic transmission, allowing the skin to be used as a finger input surface. In particular, we resolve the location of finger taps on the arm and hand by analyzing mechanical vibrations that propagate through the body. We collect these signals using a novel array of sensors worn as an armband. This approach provides an always-available, naturally-portable, and on-body interactive surface. To illustrate the potential of our approach, we developed several proof-of-concept applications on top of our sensing and classification system.

Published at ACM CHI 2010.

Chris Harrison - Carnegie Mellon University
Desney Tan - Microsoft Research
Dan Morris - Microsoft Research

Harrison, C., Tan, D. Morris, D. 2010. Skinput: Appropriating the Body as an Input Surface. To appear in Proceedings of the 28th Annual SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (Atlanta, Georgia, April 10 - 15, 2010). CHI '10. ACM, New York, NY.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• skinput
• skin
• input
• interaction
• sensor
• sensing
• small
• mobile
• device
• intelligent
• interface
• hci
• human
• computer
• cmu
• carnegie
• mellon
• chris
• harrison
• desney
• tan
• dan
• morris
• microsoft
• research

[rob825]

Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!

[killerrobis]

Girls with sharp fingernails would cut their veins using this...

[MrNeddlemouse810]

Real life Omni Tool? The future looks bright.

[MissOhMyGosh212]

That's nasty. It's like, oh look at the time on my hand. Let's play Angry Birds. On my hand! *ping ping*

No. Please.

[jrwlock]

100% of that office in the first scene is from Ikea. hands down

[smithers43]

@marasiganjp really? i mean come on did you look at the video, its a projector, schools and businesses use projectors all over the place. Or did you mean the tapping? cause yeah tapping your arm is gonna be super hazardous to your health....

[marasiganjp]

@gobbygoo

just by watching tv or using your computer can have a great effect on your eyes DUDE, my only point in asking if it is safe is not because a new technology is introduced, we should just jump into it without knowing or asking the long term effects of using it...........get it DUDE? Peace out!

[gobbygoo]

@marasiganjp

dude, what? it shines a light on your arm and senses vibrations made by tapping your skin with your finger. what part of that sounds unsafe?

[marasiganjp]

does this have any reaction or potential hazard for people to use? i just hope that as you develop this technology, a medical research should also be alongside it to assure the people it is safe to use. thanks!

[michysatchi]

how does the image projects on your skin?? is there a mini projector??

[BloodSeeker117]

Wait.....The Microsoft OmniTouch?