Posted on 05/27/2016 10:57:52 AM PDT by Swordmaker
Apple made a big deal about the advanced technology it developed to facilitate the 3D Touch feature on the iPhone 6s. But engineers at the University of Michigan have not only recreated the feature such that it can work on any smartphone, they have also improved it by enabling phones to detect when they’re being squeezed, too.
A Simple Software Update Lets Any Smartphone Detect Squeezes and Forceful Touches
So how can additional interactive features be added to any smartphone without adding sensors or upgrading its hardware in any way? ForcePhone is a piece of software simply relies on two of the device’s standard features: its speaker and microphone.
The software causes the phone to constantly emit an 18 kHz tone, which humans can’t hear, but the phone’s mic can. As a user presses on the touchscreen, or squeezes the phone’s housing, the force of the interaction on the smartphone alters the sound of that 18 kHz tone. The software detects the difference, and translates the force into commands.
YouTube Video on this invention
The ForcePhone software works a bit like a submarine’s sonar, but instead of hunting for other underwater vessels or obstacles, it’s using the subtle changes in sound to allow users to interact with their phones in new ways.
Imagine unlocking your handset with a specific pattern of squeezes as you remove it from your pocket, or upgrading your iPhone 4 to match the capabilities of the 6s with nothing but a free firmware update. For now, this is just a research project, but 3D Touch and squeeze detection could one day be a standard feature on every smartphone.
What happens when there are a LOT of other phones around all emitting the same tones? Can this tone system be used to hijack your phone? Frankly, I think this could be a huge local security hole asking for problems if implemented. Comments anyone? — Swordmaker
As long as they don’t take away the vibrating phones, the world is well.
Pinging dayglored, Shadow Ace, and ThunderSleeps for a cool, new software tech that can change the way all smartphones can be interacted with. . . but may also open doors for local malicious bad guys.
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Last time I was tested I could hear 18 kHz at -5 dB and it was painful at anything above that. I hope this app doesn’t get popular.
When I was under 30, I could hear above that. Not any more. But I know it will drive dogs crazy.
Mac Daily News brought up these questions:
Three questions:1. How much battery drain is caused by having the device constantly emit and listen for an 18 kHz tone?
2. How does the device detect squeezes when the speaker and/or microphone are in use by other applications (phone, music, movies, TV shows, personal assistant, dictation, notification sounds, etc.) or when the phone itself vibrates (rings, text tones, new mail, alerts, etc.)?
3. How do dogs and other pets deal with devices that are constantly emitting an 18 kHz tone?
We’ll stick with Apple’s patented 3D Touch on our iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus units, thanks, because it’s not constantly draining the battery, it works all the time, and it doesn’t drive the dog batshit insane.
And, by the way, some humans (usually younger ones with new ears) can hear frequencies as high as 28 kHz, so we doubt babies or children are going to enjoy devices that are constantly emitting 18 kHz tones, either.
Infants have been tested and shown to react to sounds up to 28KHz.
oops that got truncated. “Infants have been tested and shown to react to sounds up to 28KHz. . . can you imagine how parents will react when their babies start crying overtime mommy and daddy approach them when the iPhone or Android phone is on them? Oh, no. . . Class Action Lawsuit City here they come. The phone is hurting my kid!”
damn autocorrect overtime = every time.
"...aw chit, 600 gold fish? I didn't order 600...6 maybe"
Suzanne Sommers as Chrissie in a Three’s Company episode:
“He squeezed my elbow.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“The squeeze had a question mark on it!”
Will the new phone detect the question marks?
The last ‘forceful touch’ received a right hook in the chops if ya’ know what I mean.
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