Creating Inexpensive Touch Interfaces on Paper and Walls

Largely due to the popularity of smartphones and tablets, touch interfaces have become indispensable for interacting with computers in recent years. But, those are usually found as part of touchscreens that are limited in size and relatively expensive. That may change soon thanks to two new developments from researchers are Carnegie Mellon that dramatically reduce the cost of large touch interfaces.

The first prototype they’ve created is a paper-based touch interface called Pulp Nonfiction. On one side, it looks like a regular piece of paper. But, on the other side it has a layer of conductive film and a layer of silkscreened copper traces. When clipped onto a reusable sensor board, Pulp Nonfiction can detect where you’re touching the paper or drawing on it. The disposable sheets of paper cost a mere $0.30 a piece to produce, making the system very affordable.

The second system, called Wall++, was created in partnership with Disney Research. It’s capable of turning an entire wall into a touch interface with a coat of conductive diamond-patterned pain and copper tape. That can then be covered in a layer of regular paint so that the wall looks just like any other. The treatment costs just $20 per square meter, and is capable of tracking touches and even your body itself if you stand in close proximity to the wall.

Both Pulp Nonfiction and Wall++ are pushing the boundaries of how inexpensive touch interfaces can be, and have a lot of potential in a wide range of industries. Pulp Nonfiction, for example, could be used to create interactive art sketchbooks that digitize your sketches as you draw them. Wall++ could be used to create seamless smart home controls — just paint a light switch on the wall to turn your lights on and off, or temperature controls for your thermostat.