Skinput Technology
Skinput
INTRODUCTION Skinput is a technology that appropriates the human body for acoustic transmission.
It allows the skin to be used as an input surface.
It was developed by Chris Harrison, Desney Tan, and Dan Morris of the Microsoft
Research's Computational User Experiences Group
Its first public appearance was at Microsoft'sTechFest 2010
Microsoft has not commented on the future of the project, other than it is under active
development. It has been reported this may not appear in commercial devices for at least 2 years
HOW IT WORKS It uses the different sounds emitted when we tap various parts of our
skin (acoustic patterns) to figure out what icon, menu, or key is tapped. The acoustic detector in the armband contains five piezoelectric
cantilevers, each weighted to respond to certain bands of sound frequencies. Different combinations of the sensors are activated to differing degrees
depending on where the arm is tapped The system could use wireless technology like Bluetooth to transmit
commands to many types of device - including phones, iPods and even PCs. The system is surprisingly on target. It can detect 5 skin locations with
95.5% accuracy–about the same as many actual touch screen devices.
SENSING Instead of a single sensing element with a flat response curve, an array of highly
tuned vibration sensors are used. Specifically, its employed with small, cantilevered piezo films. When small weights are added to the end of the cantilever, it alters the resonant
frequency, allowing the sensing element to be responsive to a unique, narrow, low-frequency band of the acoustic spectrum. The cantilevered sensors are naturally insensitive to forces parallel to the skin.
Thus, the skin stretch induced by many routine movements (e.g., reaching for a doorknob) tends to be attenuated This sensor design is relatively inexpensive and can be manufactured in a very
small form factor, rendering it suitable for inclusion in future mobile devices.
THE DESIGN The final prototype features two arrays of five sensing elements,
incorporated into an armband form factor. Based on pilot data collection, a different set of resonant frequencies
were selected for each sensor package. The upper sensor package is more sensitive to lower frequency
signals, as these were more prevalent in fleshier areas The lower sensor array is sensitive to higher frequencies, in order to
better capture signals transmitted though (denser) bones.
Process of skinput
ADVANTAGES The projected interface can appear much larger than it ever could on a
device’s screen. Arm can be brought closer to face (or vice versa) to see the display close up. Color contrast can be adjusted by dimming the light so that a better picture
will be visible if skin and the text are too similar in color during daylight. The Skinput could eventually be used without a visual screen. As the laws
of proprioception states, humans are allowed to interact with specific body parts without using their eyes. This will make ideal for anyone with little to no eyesight. The body is portable and always available, and fingers are a natural input
device.
DISADVANTAGES One of the current limitations of the prototype is that the accuracy can degrade
over time the longer you wear it. A person's Body Mass Index (BMI) will play an important role in the accuracy of
skinput, in obese people the accuracy rate drops to approximately 80 percent, due to the interference of the wave transmission by fat deposits in the tissue. Though the band seems easy enough to slip on, it’s highly unlikely that most
people will want it residing on their arms all day. The technology might start up at very high cost which will not be affordable for
the common man.
CONCLUSION How well the Skinput technology works in practice remains to be seen The usual factors of performance, price, device compatibility, and
ergonomics still need to be fleshed out. The technology itself is intriguing, and may have even more applications
we can't envision yet. There is no clue on when skinput might hit the market. It has been reported this may not appear in commercial devices for at
least 2 years. Skinput is a very interesting technology. But its fate will ultimately
depend on how committed Microsoft is to making it a commercial reality and how soon
Thank You…..