Here’s an interesting multi-touch idea that might be very useful and implemented across all multi-touch devices in the near future. The ZeroTouch as its name says, uses “zero” physical touch to the screen and can implement the same multi-touch gestures as on a regular multi-touch screens “invisibly”.
The frame is lined with 256 IR sensors, which are connected to a computer. When ZeroTouch is mounted over a traditional computer screen it turns the display into a multitouch surface. In a demonstration at CHI, Moeller played a computer game using multitouch controls and it worked without issue.
Taken one step further, if the screen is suspended then a user could paint a virtual canvas. Using an iPhone to select the colors, when users place their finger or hand into the frame the drawing begins to appear on a display that the system is connected to. If just a finger enters the frame then the brush will be narrow, but if an entire hand or arm enters it, then the brush stroke will be wide.
Check out the video of ZeroTouch in action!
