Yesterday I read about this and it really struck a note with me – Not only has this new microsoft powered pico projector technology got an awesome name “Skinput” but it also shows us a glimpse at possibly what tomorrow will hold in terms of integration of pico-projector’s into our everyday lives. Gone will be the annoying little screens of mobiles, touch screens as wide as a few fingers and capacitive screens. Enter the pico projectors that sense input, laser pico’s that watch what you press and a whole new way of owning electronic devices like mobile phones.

Microsoft’s Skinput takes away the requirement to have a physical device you hold in your hand or put in an in car mount or wherever, using pico projector’s it projects the input GUI onto your skin, turning the back of your hand, your palm, your arm, whatever into a usable interface. Tap the phone number your friends giving you into your palm, gesture to save and then type their name on an arm sized keyboard projected onto the back of your arm. Its innovative and did I mention it has a very good name? Skinput?

The current incarnation of Skinput uses ultra-low frequency sound, the type produced when you tap on your skin with your finger, coupled of course with a pico projector the size of a microchip (mounted we are not sure where.) The idea of using the reverb from different parts of your body is a new one to me and certainly an interesting progression on sensing things within the body. If they continue to develop the technology and reduce its size it could well be used for a whole lot more than the video here shows – but really while this does appear very ingeniuitive I cant help but think there may be simpler more optic ways of sensing input on any surface.

For example the arm, hand or body part is very useful as its always there – but calibration would be required as we all have different specifics in our bodies, and what if you are standing near a big wall, wouldnt it be wonderful to use that to type a number or similar? All these progressions are interesting to see and I applaud Microsoft for investing in the research and development they are (especially for using pico projector integration in things like this) – Skinput is a nice concept, but in real terms years off I would suggest. Its almost a step towards virtual reality, proper body sensing from way up the arm!

An interesting development no doubt. Microsoft’s Skinput. I wonder what pico-projector chip they used in their testing?