Researchers Can Turn Almost Anything Into Touch Sensors

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new calibration algorithm for the technology that can turn any item into a touch sensor. Called HumTouch, it detects the current running from a fingertip to any particularly conductive surface, then locates where the contact happened. Using the new calibration algorithm, the team have helped improve the overall accuracy.

The team led by Associate Professor Shogo Okamoto are able to turn any slightly conductive surface into a touch sensor. This is done by connecting electrodes to the edges of the surface of an object/material then use their sensing technology to detect when and where contact was made, similar to how a touch screen operates.

For a conventional capacitive touchscreen to work, there are miniscule circuits placed all over the entire screen that can detect small, local changes in capacitance when your finger touches it. However, with HumTouch, said circuity isn’t needed.

This technology works based on AC hum noise. Electrical power sources emit electromagnetic waves, and these in turn, induce tiny currents in our bodies which then flow out onto a surface that we make contact with. Detecting these types of contacts without the need for complex circuity is what makes HumTouch very interesting.

Image Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan University

However, the drawback associated with current forms of this technology involves a lengthy calibration process that requires the need to touch more than 20 locations to ensure accuracy. It’s a long and drawn-out process that makes things a little too inconvenient.

But the team from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered that data collected from multiple users can be combined with data from a single touch from a new user to ensure accuracy is achieved. This helps simplify the entire calibration process for a new user. They tested their new algorithm by making connections to a paper towel, then analyzing the data.

The end goal is to turn regular, non-electrical objects into devices that can be connected to the network of Internet of Things (IoT). This could extend the capabilities of smart devices and to an extent smart home/offices. If and when technology matures, we should be able to access and interact with systems on a more convenient level.