This paper presents Soli, a new, robust, high-resolution, low-power, miniature gesture sensing technology for human-computer interaction based on millimeter-wave radar. We describe a new approach to developing a radar-based sensor optimized for human-computer interaction, building the sensor architecture from the ground up with the inclusion of radar design principles, high temporal resolution gesture tracking, a hardware abstraction layer (HAL), a solidstate radar chip and system architecture, interaction models and gesture vocabularies, and gesture recognition. We demonstrate that Soli can be used for robust gesture recognition and can track gestures with sub-millimeter accuracy, running at over 10,000 frames per second on embedded hardware.

Figure 1. Project Jacquard envisions seamless and fluid integration of interactivity woven into everyday objects and environments.

This paper explores the role dynamic textile displays play in relation to personal style: What does it mean to wear computationally responsive clothing and why would one be motivated to do so? We developed a novel textile display technology, called Ebb, and created several woven and crochet fabric swatches that explored clothing-specific design possibilities. We engaged fashion designers and nondesigners in imagining how Ebb would integrate into their design practice or personal style of dressing. Participants evaluated the appeal and utility of clothing-based displays according to a very different set of criteria than traditional screen-based computational displays. Specifically, the slowness, low-resolution, and volatility of Ebb tended to be seen as assets as opposed to technical limitations in the context of personal style. Additionally, participants envisioned various ways that ambiguous, ambient, and abstract displays of information could prompt new experiences in their everyday lives. Our paper details the complex relationships between display and personal style and offers a new design metaphor and extension of Gaver et al. s original descriptions of ambiguity in order to guide the design of clothing-based displays for everyday life.

Abstract-A simple and robust inter-module latch is possibly the most important component of a modular robotic system. This paper describes a latch based on electric fields and capacitive coupling. Our design provides not only significant adhesion forces, but can also be used for inter-module power transmission and communication. The key insight presented in this paper, and the factor that enables electrostatic adhesion to be effective at the macroscale, is the use of electric field attraction to generate frictional shear forces rather than electric field attraction alone. A second important insight is that a specific degree of flexibility in the electrodes is essential to maximize their mutual coupling and the resulting forceselectrodes which are too flexible or too rigid will perform less well. To evaluate the effectiveness of our latch we incorporate it into a cubic module 28cm on a side. The result is a latch which requires almost zero static power and yet can hold 0.6N/cm 2 of latch area.

This paper presents a stopping and a locomotion mechanism to be used with an endoscopic microcapsule robot. In the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases, microcapsules have been developed recently as alternatives to conventional endoscopy. However, they have less accuracy and functionality in diagnosis as they lack the ability to control their position. We propose mechanisms to be used with such microcapsules that would enable them to anchor and crawl in any position inside the small intestines. The stopping mechanism, actuated by coil type shape memory alloys, makes use of dry and wet elastomer (PDMS) micro-patterned adhesives inspired by beetles to attach to the intestinal tract. The locomotion mechanism, inspired by the locomotion principles of inchworms, is a modular expansion of the stopping mechanism. Both the stopping and the crawling locomotion mechanisms have been built and successfully tested inside a flexible vinyl tube. Results showed stopping with high repeatability and 0.5 mm/sec locomotion speed. The stopping mechanism was also integrated to a tethered camera for testing.

Abstract-As the size of the modules in a self-reconfiguring modular robotic system shrinks and the number of modules increases, the flexibility of the system as a whole increases. In this paper, we describe the manufacturing methods and mechanisms for a 1 millimeter diameter module which can be manufactured en masse. The module is the first step towards realizing the basic unit of claytronics, a modular robotic system designed to scale to millions of units.

No abstract

No abstract