Friday, October 26, 2012

TECH SPECIAL...Technology for Gen Next



Technology for Gen Next

With smart apps and intelligent tech being key to establish the right connect with Gen Next, smartphone and tablet makers are exploring exciting technologies which can be built into their next line of products. Researchers worldwide are bringing out prototypes of interesting applications which can be modified to suit user requirements. Here are three interesting applications, still in the works, which are closely watched by smartphone or tablet makers.

APPLICATION 1

Chris Harrison, a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University, and his team have brought out a small projector called OmniTouch, which can project your cellphone screen on a table or even on your own hand

How Does This Work

A short range depth camera and a pico projector are used to project the screen surface onto a wall or table. The prototype, which was released earlier, was huge. It is being miniaturised to be used in smartphones and tablets

Features

If you want to project an email you received, you can open the message on the wall. You can even pan and zoom into the visual

Possible Applications This project was developed in collaboration with Microsoft Research
APPLICATION 2

The touch made by each part of your finger can be customised to activate a particular function on your smartphone. For one, if you tap it with your nail, the calling facility may come up; or if you use your knuckle, another feature like the menu bar can pop up. This would be possible when the app TapSense is installed in mobile phones

How Does This Work

When you touch a touchscreen, a lot of factors are applied. There is a certain amount of heat emitted and pressure applied. Now, sensors are being embedded in the touchscreen which is able to recognise which part of your finger has touched it

Features

The sensors which recognise finger location can activate certain customised features like tell-youthe-weather-report if you tap it with your knuckle

Possible Applications
 TapSense is currently being commercialised by a company called Qeexo
APPLICATION 3

Sean Follmer at MIT Media Labs has developed a prototype where your mobile phone can be made malleable – that is stretched into a shape like that of a watch

How Does This Work

Malleable and shape-changing user interfaces are created that allow users to deform, pull, bend, twist and shape devices similar to interacting with a variety of materials such as clay

Features

Instead of using traditional touch interactions, users can bend and deform the device to control it

Possible Applications

This technology is still being developed and would require further development of bended and stretchable circuits and displays, which other researchers are working on.
Neenu Abraham TOI121022

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