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Physical interface design: CMU's inflatable buttons will be a game-changer
By Rain Noe - Jul 21, 2009
When it comes to designing a physical interface, you've got a big choice to make: Go the Blackberry route and spec out proper buttons, which offer tactility but are fixed, or go the iPhone route and opt for a touchscreen, which can display an infinite amount of menus but offer zero tactility.
That choice may soon become moot, thanks to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the novel screen they have produced. Made from latex, portions of the screen can be "pumped up" or "sucked in" using an air pump to create physical buttons. It has to be seen to be believed:
How rad is that? And if they are able to get the buttons smaller, it should be a relatively easy matter to write software that will translate visual text into Braille, opening up touchscreens for use by the visually impaired.
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
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By Mark Vanderbeeken - Jul 17, 2009
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By Rain Noe - Jul 15, 2009
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3D CAD News and Tips
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By Core Jr - Jul 09, 2009
This Just Inbox: Paper Circuit Business Cards from Sparkle Labs
As you know, we love clever business cards here at Core77 (see here and here), so we wanted to make sure that you saw Sparkle Lab's brilliant Paper Circuit Business Cards, packaged with all the parts you need to create a tiny circuit by following the printed placement diagram....
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