OmniTouch

TLDR

OmniTouch is a wearable depth‑sensing and projection system that enables interactive multitouch on everyday surfaces, yet existing systems lack user or environment instrumentation. OmniTouch uses depth‑sensing and projection, with hand‑sized buttons of 2.3 cm diameter, to reliably detect touch. The system lets users employ their limbs and any nearby surface as untethered touch interfaces, delivering mouse‑like 2D location and click detection without calibration, enabling full mobile‑device functionality in the palm.

Abstract

OmniTouch is a wearable depth-sensing and projection system that enables interactive multitouch applications on everyday surfaces. Beyond the shoulder-worn system, there is no instrumentation of the user or environment. Foremost, the system allows the wearer to use their hands, arms and legs as graphical, interactive surfaces. Users can also transiently appropriate surfaces from the environment to expand the interactive area (e.g., books, walls, tables). On such surfaces - without any calibration - OmniTouch provides capabilities similar to that of a mouse or touchscreen: X and Y location in 2D interfaces and whether fingers are "clicked" or hovering, enabling a wide variety of interactions. Reliable operation on the hands, for example, requires buttons to be 2.3cm in diameter. Thus, it is now conceivable that anything one can do on today's mobile devices, they could do in the palm of their hand.