New Computer Interfaces

Keyboards are a essential part of today’s computers. But may be not for much longer. A group of European scientists have used acoustic sensors to turn wooden tabletops and even three-dimensional objects into a new type of computer interface.Sound vibrating a windowpane or through a tabletop is something most people practice daily. Sound waves pass through well through most solid materials. Now, European researchers have demoralized the excellent propagation of sound waves through solids to turn everyday objects – including 3D objects – into a new kind of computer interface.By fixing sensors to solid materials, were able to locate exactly and track acoustic vibrations. Tapping on discrete areas of a whiteboard could generate musical notes on a computer. Tracking the sound of a finger scrawling words on a sheet of hardboard could translate, in real time, into handwriting on a computer screen. There is no need for overlays or intrusive devices.
Sensing vibrations in a solid and changing them to electrical pulses is the easy bit. Exactly locating the source of that vibration in a solid material is where it gets complicated. The problem is that the complex structures of solids make wave propagation difficult to model. Wood knots in a desktop, for example, will alter how acoustic vibrations scatter.