Computer scientists from Saarbrücken University, in collaboration with researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in the US, have developed touch sensitive flexible silicone stickers featuring electrically conducting sensors. The stickers, which can be worn on the skin, can act as controllers for mobile devices.
"The stickers allow us to enlarge the input space accessible to the user as they can be attached practically anywhere on the body," said Martin Weigel, one of the Saarland researchers.
Silicone allows the sensor patches to be flexible and stretchable. "This makes them easier to use in an everyday environment," said Jürgen Steimle, head of Saarland's Embodied Interaction Group. "The music player can simply be rolled up and put in a pocket. They are also skin friendly and users can decide where they want to position the sensor patch and how long they want to wear it."
Users can also design their own patches; all that is needed is a simple graphics program.
While the sensors are currently connected using a cable, integrating chips into them may allow the patches to communicate wirelessly.
Author
Graham Pitcher
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk