Electrick lets you spray touch controls onto any object or surface
The world is full of touchscreens these days, but most of them are on flat, smooth surfaces made of glass. Now researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have come up with a way to add touch controls to any object, no matter what shape or material it is. The system is called Electrick, and it uses a software algorithm to read the press of your finger by measuring changes in the flow of electricity across a conductive surface.
Researchers from the Future Interfaces Group showed off a few ideas for how this technology might be used. A thin conductive material could be molded onto your smartphone like a case. Then, certain grips would automatically launch the appropriate apps. Using conductive paint, you can spray touch controls onto a…
