Computer input by scratching

This is the idea behind a scratch input — a system that would measure surface scratches and interpret them as commands. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are developing such an interface. In theory, all you'd need to turn any surface in to an input device would be a kind of stethoscope and a processor to interpret the scratches. The potential applications are innumerable: Scratch your computer to turn it on, or use your desk as a drawing surface for your fingernail, with the drawings appearing on the monitor.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/scratch-input/

Touchable holographic display

A Wiimotes sense where your hand is, telling the holographic image to adjust based on your location. Then an airborne ultrasound tactile display creates the sensation of touch.

The ENose

The ENose is able to determine what are the exact contaminants in the air with a sensitivity level that allows it to accurately select a ‘smell’ of one out of approximately 10,000 parts per million. Through experiments performed by the Brain Mapping Foundation, it was found that ENose was able to distinctly pick up the smell of healthy human cells and cancerous cells.

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Brain Mapping

Thought Control

Honda has developed technology that enables humans to direct robot movements through thought. Although it is still in the embryonic stages with no practical applications for the foreseeable future, researchers are mulling some far-out possibilities, such as driving a car without a steering wheel.

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Emo jacket from Philips Labs

Designed to enhance the emotional experience of watching a movie, the emo jacket comprises 64 independent actuators, arranged in 16 groups of 4, across the arms and torso. Eight of these, spaced 6 inches apart and located on each sleeve, can create the illusion of being tapped in several spots.

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Turning facial ticks into remote control commands

A wink, a smile or a raised eyebrow can change the music on your iPod or start up your washing machine. The device looks like a normal set of headphones but is fitted with a set of infrared sensors that measure tiny movements inside the ear that result from different facial expressions.

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When cloths can talk...

In the future, smart clothing might be able to talk. Excerpted from Alternate Reality Ain’t What It Used To Be. Copyright 2008 by Ira Nayman.


"...when the star witness in the Macy Maroon murder trial took the stand: the undershirt of Jason Modeska, the man accused of Maroon’s murder.

The protesters, who oppose the idea of smart clothing giving testimony in a criminal case, unfurled a banner that read “Time for clothing to come clean!” while chanting “No shirt! No shoes! No justice!” After several calls for order, Justice Padwihller was forced to clear the court before the trial could resume...."

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SMELLIT TV

The movie shows people eating popcorn, SMELLIT uses its digital smell technology (DST) to start cranking out a corresponding odor. The device by Nuno Teixeira works like the inkjet printer, though in contrast, it houses 118 cartridges for purification instead of the ink cartridges. The SMELLIT releases the fragrance of the picture on the screen as concentrated “smell gel” that’s evenly distributed by a central fan.

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Virtual haptic Sex

The canister-type devices sized to fit easily in one’s lap and is made of soft “Haptic” synthetic material akin to that used for nipples of baby bottles. Real Touch, a belt-driven machine that, when connected to your computer via USB, simulates the mouth, vagina, or anus of a real human.

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RealTouch