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A Touch Screen With Morphing Buttons

Posted by Soulskill on Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:42 AM
from the mighty-morphin-power-button dept.
Input Devices News Technology
Al writes "Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have created a touch screen that can also produce physical buttons. Graduate student Chris Harrison and professor Scott Hudson use a projector and infrared sensor below the screen to illuminate it and make it touch-sensitive, and the physical buttons are created using air pumps below the surface. They say this type of screen could be particularly useful when a simple, flat touch-screen is too distracting, for example in a vehicle dashboard."
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  • Interactive porn in... (Score:5, Funny)

    by ActionJesus (803475) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @10:43AM (#27760001)

    3..2..1..

  • This fixes touchscreens (Score:5, Interesting)

    by JCSoRocks (1142053) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @10:47AM (#27760051)
    I hate the lack of tactile feedback on touchscreens. If this really solves that problem I'd love to see it used in ATMs and self checkouts.

  • Full of hot air (Score:5, Insightful)

    by BurzumNazgul (1163509) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @10:50AM (#27760087)
    If you read the article this isn't nearly as impressive as it sounds. The buttons are in a static configuration and need an air compressor to rise. They're going to need to come up with a more flexible method of tactile feedback if they want to create a useful technology. Back to the drawing board!

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by vrmlguy (120854)

      This is just Gen-1. I can imagine an array of small buttons, closely spaced, that can be raised en masse to simulate larger buttons. Use a piezoelectric fan to provide the air to the buttons one at a time, just like you direct electrons to a CRTs phosphers.

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by SatanicPuppy (611928) *

        To me its just another component to fail, and touchscreens have enough problems already. Is it cool enough to really rate the extra maintenance? Just get used to no buttons.

    • That's my first reaction too, but then I realised that you could still do a lot of stuff with a static array of buttons if you were able to dynamically change the labels.

      Course, there's still the size concern... obviously much better suited to an auto dash than a cell phone, in its current state.

    • Re:Full of hot air (Score:5, Interesting)

      by King_TJ (85913) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @11:51AM (#27761015) Homepage Journal

      Yeah... I thought the same thing - although granted, this is just "proof of concept" stage, right now.

      It's also worth considering, though, the fact that this system allows for another "button state" you don't generally have with physical buttons. You have "raised", "flat" (no air compressor running), AND "convex" where the compressor is creating a vacuum, sucking the surface inwards.

      Maybe that could be put to creative/good use?

  • Accessibility.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by jdgeorge (18767) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @10:55AM (#27760167)

    Of course. You can't just use a simple flat touchscreen in a vehicle dashboard. It would be impossible for a blind person to find the controls.

    • Re:Accessibility.... (Score:5, Funny)

      by busman (136696) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @11:01AM (#27760265)

      Of course. You can't just use a simple flat touchscreen in a vehicle dashboard. It would be impossible for a blind person to find the controls.

      and this is bad? I'm all for stopping blind people from controlling vehicles. See enough of them on the roads in Ireland already ;-)

      • Re:Accessibility.... (Score:4, Insightful)

        by owlnation (858981) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @11:18AM (#27760549)

        I'm all for stopping blind people from controlling vehicles. See enough of them on the roads in Ireland already ;-)

        Ah, sometimes it's hard to moderate comments. Having driven in Ireland, I've no idea whether this is "funny", "informative" or "insightful". We need more options really... and probably more opticians too.

    • Re:Accessibility.... (Score:5, Funny)

      by camperdave (969942) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @11:12AM (#27760445) Journal
      It would be impossible for a blind person to find the controls.

      Trust me. If they can find the braille on the keyboards of drive through ATMs, they can find the braille on the control panel of a car.

      • Braille on drive-through ATMs is for blind passengers, not blind drivers. :p

        • Re:Accessibility.... (Score:4, Funny)

          by camperdave (969942) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @11:57AM (#27761083) Journal
          Braille on drive-through ATMs is for blind passengers, not blind drivers.

          Are you saying that a blind person can't use the ATM if they are a driver? Nonsense! How would the machine know if they are a driver or not?

          • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

            by vlm (69642)

            Braille on drive-through ATMs is for blind passengers, not blind drivers.

            Are you saying that a blind person can't use the ATM if they are a driver? Nonsense! How would the machine know if they are a driver or not?

            Want to really screw around with people, try driving thru an ATM backwards so the passenger can use the ATM. Some of the driveway clearances and curves can be challenging when done in reverse. Also as a bonus you get to stare at the driver behind you, which can vary from pleasant (if they're hot), to disturbing (if they continue to pick their nose anyway despite being face to face).

      • Yes because at 100mph I want to be looking down at the dashboard to see where the volume up button is. Using a standard tactile dash I can feel it and I can feel if I've missed it. I don't have to take my eyes off the road.

        Or you could just turn the fucking knob.... What is it with kids these days?

        Grumble. Grump.

  • Slashdot logins are busted (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Reality Master 201 (578873) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @10:57AM (#27760201) Journal

    I'm getting a lot of other people's accounts - including their private, unpublished emails and mod points.

    WTF?

  • More distractions. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Reason58 (775044) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @10:58AM (#27760227)

    They say this type of screen could be particularly useful when a simple, flat touch-screen is too distracting, for example in a vehicle dashboard.

    I know we are obsessed with multitasking more and more, but no. Almost every automobile "accident" is caused by one or more people simply not paying attention, and I don't think we need to give them even more stuff to play with while driving.

    If a touch screen is going to be too distracting for some situation, then mighty morphin power buttons are not the answer. The answer is wait until you are done with whatever you are doing, then use them.

    • Almost every automobile "accident" is caused by one or more people simply not paying attention, and I don't think we need to give them even more stuff to play with while driving.

      Slightly off-topic, but yes. On a recent drive up the M1 (UK Motorway) I was amazed at the number of drivers with sat-navs switched on. Why? You CANNOT get lost driving up the M1. How many robotic voices were saying "Continue following the road ahead, Continue following the road ahead ,Continue following the road ahead"? The world's gone mad!

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Gizzmonic (412910)

      The answer is wait until you are done with whatever you are doing, then use them.

      Sorry, I'm not going to wait. I'm sorry the Prius has a shitty touchscreen design so that I have to look away from the road to mess with the radio or A/C. It's my hot hippie girlfriend's car and obviously she can't drive while she's doing a line of coke off my dong. I simply cannot climax while driving unless I'm blaring "Heat of the Moment" by Asia, so I've got to change it now...ah yes, much better.

  • Been there, done that. (Score:5, Informative)

    by Space cowboy (13680) * on Wednesday April 29 2009, @11:03AM (#27760297) Journal

    Well actually not I, but Apple have - see this patent filing story [appleinsider.com]

    In fact, they mention using air as the actuator, as far back as 2007.

  • Nokia is doing it better (Score:3, Interesting)

    by snarfies (115214) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @11:04AM (#27760305) Homepage

    http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/11/07/nokia-introduces-haptikos-touch-feedback-technology/ [mydigitallife.info]

    The technology in this article isn't scalable, and the "touch screen" isn't transparent, it just has stuff projected onto it from below. The Nokia solution involves piezo sensor pads under the screen and engineered in a 0.1mm movement in the screen itself.

    Not that I will ever purchase a phone that doesn't have actual physical buttons on it for when (not if, WHEN) the touchscreen breaks down. I'm just saying.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Red Flayer (890720)

      Not that I will ever purchase a phone that doesn't have actual physical buttons on it for when (not if, WHEN) the touchscreen breaks down. I'm just saying.

      And I'm never purchasing a phone that doesn't have a touchscreen on it for when the physical buttons break down.

      Yes, touchscreens have durability issues to be worked out, but I still firmly believe that in the long run, fewer moving parts == better.

  • Will drain your battery in 0.3 nanoseconds (Score:3, Interesting)

    by brasselv (1471265) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @11:06AM (#27760341)

    It's just a proof of concept, ok.

    But the concept itself suffers a major limitation: any pressurized, pneumatic-based approach will consume too much power to be eligible for a portable device - where battery life is usually key.

    Not coming to your iPhone anytinme soon.

  • First question I have though is what kind of a tactile feedback is possible? Would this eventually make a keyboard that I'd want to use for hours at a time?

    -jcr

  • The theme song is in my head... what's worse, it's the WRONG song! It's actually the theme music to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

    "Mighty Morphin' Power Buttons! Mighty Morphin' Power Buttons! Heros with a bash shell!"

  • Many applications are possible (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Drakkenmensch (1255800) on Wednesday April 29 2009, @12:01PM (#27761137)
    Am I the only one who read about these buttons and immediately imagined a full-screen braille reader for visually impaired users?

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