Wearable Thumbnail Sensor called NailO is the latest tiny wireless trackpad.
A Novel tiny wireless trackpad that can be worn on a thumbnail has been developed by the researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
This device is called NailO, and the prototype trackpad is similar to the stick-on nails sometimes used as a fashion accessory.
It attaches to the user’s thumb and can be controlled by running a finger over its surface. This new wearable device turns the user’s thumbnail into a miniature wireless track pad.
The researchers say an advantage of the device is that it’s discrete. Running a finger over a thumbnail is a natural activity, so most people wouldn’t notice this as a deliberate action to control a device.
It can be an easier control option than a traditional trackpad or mouse in some situations. This device could let users control wireless devices when their hands are full like answering the phone while cooking, for instance. It could also augment other interfaces, allowing someone texting on a cellphone, to toggle between symbol sets without interrupting his or her typing.
Finally, it could enable subtle communication in circumstances that require it, such as sending a quick text to a child while attending an important meeting.
The processor, battery, sensing chip and Bluetooth radio are included on a circuit board that sits under the capacitive trackpad. The two are connected via a small ribbon cable.
As the site for a wearable input device, the thumbnail has other advantages. It is a hard surface with no nerve endings, so a device affixed to it would not impair movement or cause discomfort and can be easily accessed by the other fingers even when the user is holding something in his or her hand.
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