WHC 3: tap interface
posted Feb 28th 2007, 23:23 under tap, WHC
I was really impressed by the demo mockups from Jukka Linjama (Nokia) at the TEI conference (see video below). Understanding the new tap interface was instantaneous using the tweaked phones. Now back in Umea, I wish I could have such demo devices to show the concept to my colleagues and users. Remember: touching is believing!
The tap system is based on accelerometer sensors and is quite easy to implement actually. I decided to give it a try at building a version of my own with the components I have on hand. I only dedicated 2-3 hours to develop the system but it's working good enough for an initial run.
3 axis accelerometer sending motion values over Bluetooth
ball moves on screen according to tap/movement on the device
Nokia demo unit with tap interface. A tap moves the ball on screen and a tactile feedback is created as the ball hits the side of the screen.