SofTouch: Turning Soft Objects into Touch Interfaces Using Detachable Photo Sensor Modules

Abstract

We propose a system that turns everyday soft objects, such as cushions, into touch interfaces in a non-intrusive manner. The belt type sensor modules developed in this study, which can be attached to the outside of soft objects, comprise several photo reflective sensors to measure the reflection intensity from an object by emitting infrared light (IR LED). When the light is irradiated to a material with the same reflection coefficient, a reflection intensity that is inversely proportional to the square of the distance can be obtained. Our method uses the sensor modules to measure the change in distance from the sensor to the surface of the soft object, and the touch position is estimated using a Support Vector Machine (SVM). To evaluate our method, we measured the accuracy when touching nine points on a cushion. Using existing everyday soft objects, it is possible to create interfaces that not only blend into the living space naturally but also match the preferences of each user.