The touchless touchscreen was developed for use in automobiles. It uses a variety of sensors to determine user intent in environments where, due to bumpy roads and mechanical vibrations, it can be difficult to actually touch a screen with accuracy. According to a press release from Cambridge: Quick take: This is really cool and the timing couldn’t be better. We use touchscreens in a variety of everyday devices ranging from ATMs and keypad entry systems to the microwave or cappucino machine at our local gas station. If we can eliminate the need to “touch” these devices, it’ll go a long way towards flattening the coronvirus curve and even helping to fight the common cold and influenza. In lab-based tests, driving simulators and road-based trials, the predictive touch technology was able to reduce interaction effort and time by up to 50% due to its ability to predict the user’s intended target with high accuracy early in the pointing task. I also wonder if this AI-powered tech might have applications in phone and tablet design. Perhaps this could allow for a stronger screen supported by deeper touch “sensors” than current pressure-sensitive designs yield.
