Gizmodo: lucidtouch

Microsoft and Mitsubishi's NanoTouch Technology Lets You Work Your Gadget From Behind

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST

Microsoft and Mitsubishi have refined their translucent touchscreen, LucidTouch. The new NanoTouch outlines your fingers on the screen as you use the touch sensors on its back, keeping the screen visible while you touch away.

Traditional touchscreens, like that iPhone everyone's been talking about, can sometimes be tough to see and operate at the same time. After all, your fat hands are blocking the screen while you tap. If you've ever tried to film yourself using a touchscreen, you'll know how annoying it can sometimes be. This tech provides a translucent screen, and the touch sensors are actually on the back of the screen itself. You can see the outline or an impression of your fingers on the display, but the entire screen is now uncovered while you control it. This apparently allows for much smaller virtual buttons, since you can see exactly what you're touching.

LucidTouch, NanoTouch's predecessor, was a cool proof of concept but was far too bulky and ungainly to be of much use. The new NanoTouch has much the same tech, but in a slim 2.4 inch package that'd be perfect for phones, mp3 players, and other pocketable kit. The makers are excited about its use in wearable tech and fashion, but I'd be plenty excited to see any example of wearable touchscreens that aren't powerfully female-repellent. [New Scientist]

Microsoft's LucidTouch Transparent Touchscreen Device Gets All Mocked Up

Sean Fallon — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:30:20 EDT

Naturally, when we first laid our eyes on the LucidTouch prototype from Microsoft back in October, we were intrigued by the transparent multi-touch interface that allows users to control the device from behind the screen. Now, five months later, Microsoft has unveiled some artist mock-ups of what the device could look like as a final product. When compared to the prototype, it is readily apparent that they have a long way to go (especially with that bulky camera), but at least it is still an ongoing project. Whether users will prefer the UI to a traditional touchscreen remains to be seen. [LucidTouch via Pocket-Lint via DVICE]

"Transparent" Touchscreen: LCD the Front, Fingers in the Back

Sean Fallon — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:00:38 EDT

The iPhone touch interface is innovative, there is no doubt about that—but it does have some drawbacks. For example, multi-touch is ill suited to fat fingers and the process of navigating obstructs the screen. Wigdor at MERL, and Patrick Baudisch at Microsoft Research are hoping to change all that with a new touch sensitive gadget called LucidTouch that allows users to navigate via sensors on the back of the device instead of the front. This will allow for a firmer grip on the device, better performance, and a clear view of the screen according to researchers.

When in use, the users hands appear like shadows though the screen, giving the impression that the device is transparent. The active point of each finger is indicated with a small green dot which should effectively address the problems that portly nerds face each and every day. It sounds great, but LucidTouch won't really be ready for prime-time unless it can be slimmed down enough to be practical. Currently, the rear touch interface is made possible by a bulky "boom camera" that records finger movements. Obviously that is totally unacceptable to the discerning geek, but researchers believe that solutions are on the horizon, including using a souped-up touch iPhone-esque touch panel or LEDs. [New Scientist]