The Sensitive Objects technology, developed by European Space Agency for spacecraft, is now being used to create small sensors that can make any flat surface interactive.

“Our patented technology is based on recognising the sound waves propagated in an object when it is tapped at a precise location,” says Ros-Kiri Ing, President of Sensitive Object.

Just as fingerprints are unique, a tap on a flat surface gives an acoustic signature that is unique for the specific point of impact, as the waves emitted are diffused differently from a tap even a few centimetres away.

“I had the idea of associating this signature with an action and creating a sort of virtual command table. The association is managed by a computer programme that links touch at a specific location to a specific action. A small sensor, the accelerometer, placed nearby, then detects the sound waves and analyses their acoustic signature. If the signature is recognised, the intended action is executed, if not, nothing happens,” Ros-Kiri Ing explains.

Sensitive control panels can be placed at any location to create an interactive human-machine interface. They can also be easily moved. If a control panel is located in the shower, with the sensor placed nearby, and needs to be moved to a new position or a new command has to be added, there’s no need to touch the sensor, the system can be modified and new sensitive zones can be defined via the computer.

This means that the controls for the lights in a room could be moved without having to change the wiring.

Via Usability in the news ESA News.
Related: anywhere interactive interface.