Skip to Content

'Invisible' touchscreen prototype tested with iPhone

by Mike Schramm May 23rd 2011 at 10:00PM

The video on the next page features a prototype for an "invisible" iPhone created by researchers at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Germany. Basically, the idea is that with your iPhone in your pocket, you can hold your hand out and move your finger around on it as if you were holding your phone, and those movements will be picked up by a motion sensor elsewhere, and then sent back to your handset. In other words, just by moving a finger around on your empty hand, the plan is that you can answer and control your iPhone.

Unfortunately, the current implementation requires a camera to be mounted above you, and sends the signals back via Wi-Fi through another device as well, so it's not exactly easily usable (or cheap, probably). But the eventual idea is that the depth camera observing your actions would be wearable, so whenever you're in a situation where it would be more work to actually get out your phone, the camera would allow you to control things with just a few motions.

Seems interesting -- if the researchers working on the project can pull it off without you looking like a nut, poking at your hand.





View Tags

Related Stories

Categories

Odds and ends iPhone iOS

The video on the next page features a prototype for an "invisible" iPhone created by researchers at the Hasso Plattner Institute in...
 

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum Comment Moderation Enabled. Your comment will appear after it is cleared by an editor.

12 Comments

Filter by:
Richard servello

ummm, the only useful feature this could POSSIBLY bring is answering a phone hands free.....which is what Bluetooth earpieces have been doing for YEARS! Pointless invention...waste of time and money! Go research cancer or something!

May 30 2011 at 2:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Peter Babiy

Wait, I don't get how does it know which app I'm trying to open? Wouldn't I always be clicking on the wrong stuff trying to guess where to point my finger?

May 24 2011 at 3:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buzz

Winner of the left-hand-that-looks-most-like-a-right-hand-when-flattened-palm-up award goes to...

May 24 2011 at 1:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kasaialma

Well, I've gotten my money's worth. The value I get in functionality far exceeds your calculated cost.

May 24 2011 at 9:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Caspian

I've had this since 3 years ago! I'll sue for patent infringement!

May 24 2011 at 3:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mark

DUH!!! April 1 was last month, morons.

May 24 2011 at 2:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kasaialma

Mobile is not the only application for this. Though, like many other Apple tinkerings, this may not make it's way into an actual product; understanding the dynamics of it may lead to more useful innovations.

I do like the Holo idea; very "Ghost in the Shell." But I'm thinking "wearable interface" will come more in the form of Smart Fabric; they actually have some patents that relate to that (and a proof of concept).

May 24 2011 at 12:05 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
drumrobot

Am I the only one who thought of the recent 'iPhone 5G S' scam when I saw this?

May 23 2011 at 10:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JFDMit

I don't think the ultimate application here is being able to blindly control a pocketed phone (for reasons other commenters have pointed out). Combine this with a holographic or retina-projected display, and we could have virtual phones that appear in our hands whenever we want to use them.

To others, you might be poking at your empty palm, but you're actually controlling the latest and greatest Apple vPhone.

Remember, a few years ago, people who talked to themselves in public were considered insane. Now, they're just BT-wearing imbeciles. That's progress...

May 23 2011 at 10:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mike

I can see this being useful in a situation where someone was stuck doing NOTHING, EVER. Why does this exist? Why would you want to use apps without seeing them? What's the point?

"Well, let me check my email..." [Gestures on hand] Yeah, no.

May 23 2011 at 10:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Mike's comment
icruise

I'm inclined to agree. And in what world is having to wear some sort of camera all the time a good tradeoff for not having to take your phone out of your pocket?

May 23 2011 at 10:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
TheCastro

Hmm, let's see, I'm working on my car, hands are oily, how about changing the song on my iphone, or answering a call?

May 24 2011 at 12:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buy an ad here

Tweets

© 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.