NailDisplay prototype (via http://www.cmlab.csie.ntu.edu.tw)
Remember the scene in Total Recall (the Schwarzenegger version) where the receptionist at the Recall center changes the color of her fingernails just by touching them? That, and more, may be possible in the near future thanks to some engineers from the National Taiwan University (Taipei). Led by Chao-Huai Su, the engineers are developing their ‘NailDisplay’ device as a way of putting organic interactive displays onto the fingertips of users. Some of the potential applications of using the device include precise selection of small targets (on mobile devices or touch screens) with transparent fingertips (meaning you can see through your finger while selecting apps), used as a display for devices that don’t feature a screen (i.e.: mp3 players that don’t feature a screen) and using it to visualize content through gestures. The engineers developed their prototype using a 0.96-inch OLED display module that’s attached to an adjustable finger strap purposely left open at the fingertip for natural haptic feedback. The display is connected to an ATmega32U4 microcontroller that processes data garnered from sensors, including a vibrator and a 6DOF IMU accelerometer, for interaction depending on the application. Their prototype isn’t wireless so the engineers out fitted several devices (that don’t feature a screen) with a pressure sensor that locates the finger outfitted with the NailDisplay as well as a capacitive strip that detects finger movements and translates those interactions onto the screen. While the NailDisplay technology is still in its infancy and the technology to fully visualize the final product doesn’t yet exist, the team’s main goal is to develop working applications in how the technology might be used. The engineers plan on presenting their academic draft paper detailing the development and uses of the NailDisplay at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (ACM SIGCHI) being held in Paris in April 2013.
I see this as not something for the general consumer, but for the machine operator. Displaying more information and control options is what any tech would want. I could see this as a great way to investigate blueprints in finer detail, like a physical world part-detail call up.
Cabe
