Sensors and Devices

Established: May 28, 2015

Try our Block/JavaScript editor! The BBC and partners, including Microsoft, announce the BBC micro:bit – a pocket-sized, codeable computer that allows children to get creative with technology. Up to 1 million micro:bits will be given to every 11 or 12 year old child in Year 7 or equivalent across the UK, for free. “The simple truth is, being a maker matters. Real computing, doing not just consuming, will drive a creative revolution in this country.…

Established: April 26, 2014

We present a new type of augmented mechanical keyboard, sensing rich and expressive motion gestures performed both on and directly above the device. A low-resolution matrix of infrared (IR) proximity sensors is interspersed with the keys of a regular mechanical keyboard. This results in coarse but high frame-rate motion data. We extend a machine learning algorithm, traditionally used for static classification only, to robustly support dynamic, temporal gestures. We propose the use of…

Established: September 1, 2013

Circuit stickers and conductive printing provide an accessible way to rapidly prototype all sorts of electronic circuits. We use a regular inkjet printer to instantly create conductive traces on regular photo paper and combine this with a special type of double-sided tape to stick down electronic sub-circuit elements which we imagine would be sold as a kit for hobbyists, students and researchers. Circuit stickers are a new way to build electronic prototypes by adhering physical…

Established: December 10, 2012

Digits is a wrist-worn sensor that recovers the full 3D pose of the user's hand without requiring any external sensing infrastructure or covering the hand itself (unlike data gloves). The system targets mobile settings and is specifically designed to be low-power and easily reproducible using only off-the-shelf hardware. We demonstrate the utility of Digits for a variety of application scenarios, including 3D gaming and eyes-free interaction on the move. Image Gallery

Established: May 27, 2012

This project explores a new technique for optical sensing through thin form-factor displays. It allows for detection of fingers and other physical objects close to or on the display surface. This essentially allows us to turn a regular LCD into a sensing surface that can be used for multi-touch and tangible computing applications. We are interested in both the underlying hardware and software aspects of this approach as well as the interaction techniques and application…

Established: March 27, 2012

SideSight expands the multi-touch capabilities of small mobile devices beyond the screen. Infrared sensors embedded along each side of device are capable of detecting the presence and position of fingers within the proximity of the device. When the device is rested on a flat surface, such as a table, the user can carry out single and multi-touch gestures using the space around the device. This gives a larger input space than would otherwise be possible,…

Established: October 18, 2011

Vermeer is a novel interactive 360° viewable display suitable for a tabletop form factor. It provides viewpoint corrected stereoscopic 3D graphics to simultaneous users 360° around the display, without the need for eyewear or other user instrumentation. This work was presented in a paper at UIST 2011

Established: October 17, 2011

In this project we investigate novel handheld projector systems for indoor spaces. These projection-based devices are “aware” of their environment in ways not demonstrated previously. They offer both spatial awareness, where the system infers location and orientation of the device in 3D space, and geometry awareness, where the system constructs the 3D structure of the world around it, which can encompass the user as well as other physical objects, such as furniture and walls.

Established: August 9, 2011

This project investigates techniques to track the 6DOF position of handheld depth sensing cameras, such as Kinect, as they move through space and perform high quality 3D surface reconstructions for interaction. Other collaborators (missing from the list below): Richard Newcombe (Imperial College London); David Kim (Newcastle University & Microsoft Research); Andy Davison (Imperial College London)    

Established: March 19, 2011

Mobile devices such as smartphones, along with other battery operated devices, are energy constrained. While hardware capabilities have increased tremendously over the last ten years, battery energy density has only doubled. In this project we are exploring several techniques to extend the battery life of mobile devices. Our vision is to create a fully-capable phone which runs for a week without recharging under normal usage. Our work spans innovation across all layers of the battery…

Established: March 2, 2011

Home heating uses more energy than any other residential energy expenditure, making increasing the efficiency of home heating an important goal for saving money and protecting the environment. We have built a home-heating system, PreHeat, that automatically programs your thermostat based on when you are home. PreHeat’s goal is to reduce the amount of time a household’s thermostat needs to be on without compromising the comfort of household members. PreHeat System PreHeat builds a predictive…

Established: September 30, 2010

It is no secret that homes are ever-increasing hotbeds of new technology such as set-top boxes, game consoles, wireless routers, home automation devices, tablets, smart phones, and security cameras. This innovation is breeding heterogeneity and complexity that frustrates even technically-savvy users’ attempts to improve day-to-day life by implementing functionality that uses these devices in combination. For instance, it is impossible for most users…

Established: September 20, 2010

Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer is a rapid prototyping platform for small electronic gadgets and embedded hardware devices. It combines the advantages of object-oriented programming, solderless assembly of electronics using a kit of hardware modules, and quick physical enclosure fabrication using computer-aided design. Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer is a rapid prototyping platform for small electronic gadgets and embedded hardware devices. It combines the advantages of object-oriented programming, solderless assembly of electronics using a kit of hardware modules, and…

Established: July 26, 2010

 SecondLight is a new rear projection-vision surface technology that augments the typical interactions afforded by multi-touch and tangible tabletops with the ability to project and sense both through and beyond the display. People Shahram Izadi, Steve Hodges, Stuart Taylor, Dan Rosenfeld, Nicholas Villar, Alex Butler and Jonathan Westhues Related Links Sensors and Devices Group

Established: January 19, 2010

The Peppermill project is an exploration into the design space of user interface devices that are able to source their power from the physical effort involved in interacting with them. We refer to this kind of device as being interaction-powered. In the prototype Peppermill device, we use a geared DC motor and a simple electronic circuit to enable interaction-powered rotary input. When turned, the circuit provides a temporary power source for an embedded device, and…

Established: January 1, 2007

Radio frequency identification (RFID) may be used to automatically detect, locate and/or identify objects, making it an ideal candidate for many pervasive computing applications. As RFID technology improves in terms of cost and performance, it is increasingly being explored in a variety of applications, ranging from eldercare through to the smart supply chain. However, while passive UHF RFID has many benefits over other RFID variants, reliable operation as the tag moves in the environment is…

Established: February 25, 2004

SenseCam is a wearable camera that takes photos automatically. Originally conceived as a personal ‘Black Box’ accident recorder, it soon became evident that looking through images previously recorded tends to elicit quite vivid remembering of the original event. This exciting effect has formed the basis of a great deal of research around the world using SenseCam and the device is now available to buy as the Vicon Revue. There is lots of information about SenseCam…