uTrack: 3D Input Using Two Magnetic Sensors

Keyu Chen, Kent Lyons, Sean White, Shwetak Patel

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Abstract

While much progress has been made in wearable computing in recent years, input techniques remain a key challenge. In this paper, we introduce uTrack, a technique to convert the thumb and fingers into a 3D input system using magnetic field (MF) sensing. A user wears a pair of magnetometers on the back of their fingers and a permanent magnet affixed to the back of the thumb. By moving the thumb across the fingers, we obtain a continuous input stream that can be used for 3D pointing. Specifically, our novel algorithm calculates the magnet's 3D position and tilt angle directly from the sensor readings. We evaluated uTrack as an input device, showing an average tracking accuracy of 4.84 mm in 3D space - sufficient for subtle interaction. We also demonstrate a real-time prototype and example applications allowing users to interact with the computer using 3D finger input.