lucid touch microsoft research & mitsubishi electric research labs

Our LucidTouch prototype allows users to interact with screen content by touching the back of the device. The device allows users to target accurately by providing visual feedback of the users hand. This effect of "pseudo translucency" is created by sensing the hand behind the device and rendering a translucent version onto the screen.

I am currently working on a miniaturized version of the device ("nanoTouch") in collaboration with Gerry Chu.

Touch is a compelling input modality for interactive devices; however, touch input on the small screen of a mobile device is problematic because a user’s fingers occlude the graphical elements he wishes to work with. LucidTouch is a mobile device that addresses this limitation by allowing the user to control the application by touching the back of the device. The key to making this usable is what we call pseudo-transparency: by overlaying an image of the user’s hands onto the screen, we create the illusion of the mobile device itself being semitransparent. This pseudo-transparency allows users to accurately acquire targets while not occluding the screen with their fingers and hand. LucidTouch also supports multi-touch input, allowing users to operate the device simultaneously with all 10 fingers. We present initial study results that indicate that many users found touching on the back to be preferable to touching on the front, due to reduced occlusion, higher precision, and the ability to make multi-finger input.

 
or download this video in AVI format

See the initial design sketches: application scenarios.
 

Wigdor, D., Forlines, C., Baudisch, P., Barnwell, J., Shen, C. LucidTouch: A See-Through Mobile Device In Proceedings of UIST 2007, Newport, Rhode Island, October 7-10, 2007, pp. 269–278. DOC (1.0M) | PPT (23.1M) + with WMV clips (50.9M) | AVI (47M)

 

Popular press

	Griffith, E. Future Tech: Seven Innovations That Will Change Your Life #4: LucidTouch. In PC Magazine, June 6, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Singh, H. Microsoft's TechFest showcased an array of technologies. In India Times-Economic times, March 20, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Mintz, J. Microsoft researchers show off latest. In Boston Globe, March 18, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Madden, D. Microsoft LucidTouch. In AV Review, March 18, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Morgenstern, D. Did Microsoft beat Apple to dual-sided touch technology?. In ZD Net, March 17, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Microsoft Unveils LucidTouch Prototype. In Do Device, March 15, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Kwan, M. Microsoft LucidTouch Tablet PC Is Semi-Transparent. In Mobile Magazine, March 13, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Davies, C. Microsoft Research LucidTouch demos ‘pseudo-transparent’ device. In Phone Mag, March 13, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	LucidTouch control-from-behind touch tech still in development, gorgeous mockup shown. In DVice, March, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Torkington, N. Radar Roundup: UI. In O'Reilly Radar, March 11, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	LucidTouch Multi-Touch Transparent Mobile Device. In Dance with Shadows, March 10, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Morgenstern, S.  A Cure for Fat Fingers. In Popular Science, March 10, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Touch screens to go transparent. In India Times, March 8, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	LucidTouch – the see-through mobile device. In GizMag, March 7, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Gaudin, S. In Pictures: Microsoft exposes its research efforts. In Computer World, March 6, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Canwest News Service. Business Browser. In Edmonton Journal, March 5, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	TechFest: Neues aus dem Hause Microsoft Research. In PC Games Hardware, March 5, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	LucidTouch: the “reverse iPhone” concept. In Uber Gizmo, March 5, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Caizergues, M. TechFest: les chercheurs Microsoft présentent l'interface LucidTouch. In LeMondeInformatique, March 5, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Romano, B.J. One big science fair for hundreds of Ph.D.s. In Seattle Times, March 5, 2008. Local copy of article at original site
	Bishop, T. TechFest takes a worldview. In Seattle PI, March 5, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Gardiner, B. Microsoft LucidTouch Gives Touch Technology the 'Reach Around'. In Wired, March 4, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Miles, S. Microsoft LucidTouch concept shown off. Work your magic on the screen from behind. In PocketLint, March 4, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Goring, N. Microsoft's cutting edge on display at TechFest. In InfoWorld, March 4, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site |
	Boyle, A. Science Fair For Grown-Ups. In MSNBC, March 4, 2008. Local copy of article | at original site
	Anthes, J. Give your computer the finger: Touch-screen tech comes of age. In ComputerWorld, February 1, 2008. at original site | Local copy of article
	Liebman, J. Gadget with a View. In Portfolio, January 2008 • 1 Page, in print issue and online. article magazine | Local copy of online article | at original site
	Spencer, K. Under Development A Peek At What's Brewing In The Laboratory: Touch The Screen On Both Sides Now. In Computer Power User, January 2008 • Vol.8 Issue 1 Page(s), pp. 106-107 in print issue. Local copy of article | at original site
	Tortolini, A. Microsoft, Google y Yahoo! empiezan a mostrar cómo competirán con el iPhone. In Perfil, print Edition, November 11, 2007, pp. 49. Local PDF of article
	Greene, K. A Better Touch Screen. In Technology Review, print Edition, November/December 2007, pp. 15. Local scan of article | at original site
	Sorrel, C. LucidTouch: See Through Multi Touch Screen. In Wired, October 12, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site
	CowboyNeal. Touch-based Handhelds Turned Inside Out. In Slashdot, October 12, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site
	Barras, C. 'Transparent' gadget could trump iPhone interface. In New Scientist, October 11, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site
	Fallon, S. "Transparent" Touchscreen: LCD the Front, Fingers in the Back. In Gizmodo, October 11, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site
	Koesch, S., Magdanz, F. Stadler, R. Handys werden körperlos. In Spiegel Online, September 6, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site
	Johnson, S. Multi-touch Display Uses All Ten Fingers. In Internet News, August 24, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site
	Oiaga, M. Windows Aero Is Old News – Introducing LucidTouch User Interface. In Softpedia News, August 24, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site
	Topolskye, J. Microsoft R&D strikes again: the LucidTouch. In Engadget, August 24, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site
	Greene, K. Two-Sided Touch Screen. In Technology Review, August 24, 2007. Local copy of article | at original site

In collaboration with Daniel Wigdor (MERL), Clifton Forlines (MERL), John Barnwell (MERL), and Chia Shen (MERL)