Disney Research Works On Touché Touch Control Using Body Parts

If you're like me, you probably didn't know that Disney even had a research arm. Disney does have a research arm called Disney Research, and it is working on an interesting bit of technology called Touché. Touché is designed to bring touch control to body parts and other objects. I'm not clear if this research arm is working on things for the consumer market or possibly ideas for exhibits in the Disney park likely it does both.

No matter what the reason for working on this technology, it's very interesting and could well be the future of touch and gesture control. The YouTube video at the bottom of the story shows the system in action in the research lab. The system can detect which part of the user's body is touching a flat surface. It can also detect how a user is grasping things, like a doorknob to perform specific actions.

The implication with a doorknob is that grasping it in a specific way could unlock the door, while grasping it in a different way might lock the door. The Touché system also allows control of a smartphone without having to touch the screen simply by making gestures with the palm of the hand. According to the research team, the tech uses a circular table that can sense how electrical signals passing through an object change when touched by conductive material such as a body part. The system is able to distinguish between a single finger, multiple fingers, and other body parts.

[via Herald Sun]