Caressing the screen of an iPhone, iPod Touch or the imminent iPad is, for some people, a near spiritual experience. Perhaps the fusion of physical and digital goes some way to vanquishing the alienation inherent in modern technology.
But what comes after the iPad touch screen interface? Will we all soon be starring in our own private Minority Report?
Enter “skinput” — bio-acoustic sensing technology that allows the human body itself to be used as an input device. According to Carnegie Mellon University researcher Chris Harrison, different body locations give off “acoustically distinct” sound waves when touched, opening up a world of possibility for touching feely techies.
If this technology can be successfully transferred to mainstream consumer technology, we’ll really have the world in the palm of our hands.
