Recently, there has been great interest in multi-touch interfaces. These have taken the form of optical systems such as Microsoft Surface [5] and Perceptive Pixel's FTIR display [3] as well as hand-held devices using capacitive sensors such as the Apple iPhone [1]. However, optical systems are inherently bulky while capacitive systems are only practical in small form factors and are limited in their application because they only respond to human touch.We have created a technology that enables the creation of Inexpensive Multi-Touch Pressure Acquisition Devices (IMPAD) which are paper-thin, flexible and can easily scale down to fit on a portable device or scale up to cover an entire table. These devices can sense varying levels of pressure at a resolution high enough to sense and distinguish multiple fingertips (Figures 1, 2), the tip of a pen or pencil and other objects.Other potential applications include writing pads, floor mats and entry indicators, bio-pressure sensors, musical instruments, baby monitoring, drafting tables, reconfigurable control panels, inventory tracking, portable electronic devices, hospital beds, construction materials, wheelchairs, sports equipment, sports clothing and tire pressure sensing.
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