COMPUTING SCIENCE FiberSense – Multi-touch Fibre Optic Sensing on Non-Planar Surfaces

Multi-touch interfaces based on light and optical fibres offer many advantages over alternative technologies. Existing multi-touch devices either use complex custom electronic sensor arrays, or a camera that must be placed relatively distant from the interface. FiberSense is an easily constructed light-sensing multi-touch interface. Using an array of optical fibres, reflected light is channelled to a camera. As the fibres are flexible the camera is free to be positioned so as to allow fibres to be routed anywhere within the interfaces. The resulting effect is a tangible interface that can be produced in any shape, with a complete surface of optical sensors. We describe our prototype, its novel calibration process, and virtual camera software used to easily take advantage of the device. © 2009 University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Printed and published by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Computing Science, Claremont Tower, Claremont Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, England. Bibliographical details BARTINDALE, T., JACKSON, D., OLIVIER, P FiberSense Multi-touch Fibre Optic Sensing on Non-Planar Surfaces [By] T Bartindale, D Jackson, P. Olivier Newcastle upon Tyne: University of Newcastle upon Tyne: Computing Science, 2009. (University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Computing Science, Technical Report Series, No. CS-TR-1175)