Scientists at Japan's Tohoku University have discovered a way to place augmented reality (AR) touch panels on hard surfaces such as desks and walls.
To make this vision a reality, the research team trained an AI model to reliably recognise the blanching phenomenon in fingertip images captured by a standard camera on the headset. In addition, a supporting interaction system was developed to provide easy-to-access user experience.
User studies showed that the system reliably detected fingertip contact across several common surface materials. Participants were able to perform interaction tasks with stable input accuracy. The surface-supported interaction also allowed users to rest their fingers on the surface during operation.
"This research means that ordinary surfaces all around us - walls, desks, or partitions - can be used as a touch input area," said Guanghan Zhao, who led the study. "Moreover, this method doesn't require special sensors, markers, or additional devices. Anyone can use it easily.
The team's findings were presented last month in South Korea, at the 33rd IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces.
Source: Tohoku University