Smartwatches have transformed how we interact with our technology, but the smaller screens can make them frustrating to use. Now, a team of researchers are hoping to overcome this limitation by develop new technology that makes the skin on your arm and hand act like a touchscreen.

    The SkinTrack system uses a signal-emitting ring that generates electrical signals along with a sensing band attached to a watch. When the finger wearing the ring touches the skin, electrical signal move across the arm.

    The system then measures the distance between the ring and four pairs of electrodes in the watchband to locate the position of the finger in 2-D space on an arm.

    Developed by the Human-Computer Interaction Institute’s Future Interfaces Group at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the system allows for continuous touch tracking on the hands and arms.

    “A major problem with smartwatches and other digital jewelry is that their screens are so tiny,” said Gierad Laput, a Ph.D. student and part of the research team.

    “Not only is the interaction area small, but your finger actually blocks much of the screen when you’re using it. Input tends to be pretty basic, confined to a few buttons or some directional swipes. The great thing about SkinTrack is that it’s not obtrusive; watches and rings are items that people already wear every day,” said Yang Zhang, a first-year Ph.D. student.

    SkinTrack is also designed to sense continuous tracking, which as the video from the researchers shows, allows users to doodle on their skin and see it on the watch display.

    Other features include swiping up on your skin to sift through your music playlist, dragging any app over to your arm to create a shortcut or using your own body as a joystick for a game.

    The system has proved to be 99 percent accurate.(SD-Agencies)