New Scientist
Image: Ricky Romero
A touch-sensitive gadget with the sensing panel on its back, instead of the screen, is being developed by US researchers. 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. Read more on newscientist.com…
