Flexible, Stretchable and Visually Customizable On-Body
Touch Sensors for Mobile Computing
(August 21, 2015) We propose iSkin, a novel class of skin-worn sensors for
touch input on the body. iSkin is a very thin sensor overlay, made of
biocompatible materials, and is flexible and stretchable. It can be produced in
different shapes and sizes to suit various locations of the body such as the
finger, forearm, or ear. Integrating capacitive and resistive touch sensing,
the sensor is capable of detecting touch input with two levels of pressure,
even when stretched by 30% or when bent with a radius of 0.5 cm.
Furthermore,
iSkin supports single or multiple touch areas of custom shape and arrangement,
as well as more complex widgets, such as sliders and click wheels. Recognizing
the social importance of skin, we show visual design patterns to customize
functional touch sensors and allow for a visually aesthetic appearance. Taken
together, these contributions enable new types of on-body devices. This
includes finger-worn devices, extensions to conventional wearable devices, and
touch input stickers, all fostering direct, quick, and discreet input for
mobile computing.