SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the inefficiency of conventional, low-dimensional pointing devices, such as the mouse, which typically control only two parameters. The shrinking size and expanding functionality of consumer devices raises further user interface challenges. The proposed research will investigate how a high density touch pad (HDTP) touchpad, can address these problems; for example, a fingertip potentially can control six independent parameters and convey several discernible postures in a small area of contact. The HDTP incorporates a pressure-measurement sensor array with real-time processing to derive information from pressure images. The project objectives are: 1) create usable increased dimensionality by calculation of parameters in real-time from hand contact pressure distributions; 2) study system requirements and performance tradeoffs; 3) study small format opportunities wherein several usable parameters may be extracted from touch of a key. The Phase I research result will be a catalog and assessment of how the technology can increase dimensionality, and determination of system requirements. It is expected that the technology will prove capable of controlling eight or more parameters, several using only a small area, with commercially viable system requirements. The low-dimensionality of conventional pointing devices creates a bottleneck, forcing users to perform many operations solely for the reassignment of pointing device parameters to application parameters. Many applications, including 3D drawing, CAD, simulation, data visualization, machine control, process control, advanced data navigation, animation and performing arts technologies, intrinsically require simultaneous interactive manipulation of three, four, five, six, or more independent parameters. As a high-dimensional device operated in an intuitive way with a wide range of applications, and adaptable for use in small devices, the proposed touchpad could become an attractive way to improve ease-of-use and efficiency. In fact, depending on its hardware and software requirements, it has the potential to be adopted even more widely than the conventional touchpad, now found in many laptops. Further, because of its sensitivity to fine movements, it has potential as an assistive device for the disabled, thus promoting the goal of universal access

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses an opportunity to build on the recent enthusiastic market acceptance in touch interfaces with a new exciting feature-enhanced technology. The patented high-dimensional touchpad (HDTP) employs a tactile matrix sensors to capture nuances of finger contact that current touch interfaces cannot detect. Machine vision techniques are used to extract control information from measured tactile contact and direct it to control a system or device. The HDTP has all capabilities of available touch interfaces with far more continuously-variable parameters from a single finger and numerous new features. The SBIR Phase II project objectives are: 1) create a working HDTP prototype from the test system of SBIR Phase I; 2) characterize suitability of available tactile matrix sensors for commercial HDTP products; 3) develop expanded repertoire of touch interactions combining existing techniques with others unique to the HDTP; and 4) conduct human studies comparing the HDTP with other touch interfaces. Expected outcomes of this Phase II project are: a working prototype providing eight or more useful continuously-variable parameters (four or more in a small area); identification of best suited sensors; an expanded range of touch interaction techniques; human study results showing HDTP capabilities surpasses those of other touch interfaces. The past eighteen months have seen the emergence of a new generation of touch interfaces that exploit multi-touch and gesture interactions to create user interfaces substantially more usable than other user interfaces. With the success of the iPhone, advanced touch interfaces are now appearing in a variety of products ranging from laptop and multi-user table-top computers to PDAs to competing smartphones to digital cameras. The heightened interest in touch interfaces and their increasing prevalence make finding ways to improve them especially important. Considerable effort is now being devoted to developing advanced touch interfaces. The proposed project will advance that research. As a high-dimensional touch interface operated in an intuitive way with a wide range of powerful new capabilities, a large number of possible applications, and well-suited for use in handheld devices, the HDTP has the potential to be very widely adopted. Because of the size and number of potential markets for the HDTP, even a modest market share in some of them could result in substantial profits. Further, the HDTP's sensitivity and adaptability makes it well-suited for use as an assistive device for the disabled, thus promoting the goal of universal access