Laser remote makes watching TV even lazier

March 6, 2008 By Lisa Zyga feature
Laser remote makes watching TV even lazier

In the Remote-Touch concept, the user points a laser at the screen and selects an option. A transparent substrate with tiny pyramid-shaped indents reflects the light to photodetectors on the edges of the screen, which determine the laser’s position and the user’s selection. Image credit: Pasquariello, et al.

Modern-day remote controls can be complicated. But, thankfully, researchers are making TV the relaxing, mindless pastime that it was always intended to be with a new easy-to-use remote control. The controller is a laser pointer, which can be pointed at different options on a TV screen or other large display to control volume, channels, and make other selections.

As researchers Donato Pasquariello, Gilles Vissenberg, and Galileo Destura explain in a recent issue of the Journal of Display Technology, the laser pointer takes advantage of the intuitiveness of a touchscreen display, but with a longer range. The team is from the Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

The system, called “Remote-Touch,” involves three main components: the laser pointer, a micro-structured substrate that fits over the display, and position-sensitive photodetectors at the edge of the display.

“The main advantage is that it is easier and more intuitive to point at objects on the screen, instead of scrolling through a menu via buttons on a remote control or via a mouse or joystick,” Vissenberg told PhysOrg.com.

When a user wants to change a setting, they point the laser at one of the objects on the screen. Placed over the screen is a transparent substrate made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with small pyramid-shaped indentations on the backside of the substrate. The pyramids, which have a base of about 50 x 50 micrometers, are designed to “capture” part of the incoming laser beam when a user “clicks” on certain points.

“The signal for the selection-click can be sent by a conventional remote control signal and then be linked to the coordinates of the laser pointer, or it can be incorporated by a modulation in the laser pointer signal itself,” Vissenberg explained.

Then, the four facets of the pyramids reflect the light in four directions: up, down, left, and right. Position-sensitive photodetectors (PSDs) located at the edges of the display detect the light at the appropriate x- and y-coordinates, determining which object on the screen was pointed at. The output of the PSD is directly linked to the TV chip. Or, if used to remotely control a computer, the laser pointer coordinates could be used as mouse coordinates, Vissenberg explained.

The researchers built a prototype of the remote-touch feature on a 21” LCD screen, using a laser pointer with a wavelength of 780 nanometers for pointing. They also developed a correction method for laser beams that were aimed at the screen from a wide angle, enabling the method to work accurately even when viewers were sitting off to the side of the screen.

The group hopes that this technique could offer an inexpensive alternative to touchscreen and other control techniques. The most commonly used touchscreen technology, called resistive touchscreen, is limited to a maximum screen size of 21”. The only option for larger screens is infrared touchscreen technology, which is very expensive. Because of its low-cost materials, the Remote-Touch concept could offer an inexpensive alternative to conventional touchscreens of any size.

More information: Pasquariello, Donato, Vissenberg, M. C. J. M., and Destura, Galileo June. “Remote-Touch: A Laser Input User-Display Interaction Technology.” Journal of Display Technology, Vol. 4, No. 1, March 2008.

Copyright 2008 PhysOrg.com.
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of PhysOrg.com.

3.4 /5 (32 votes)  

Filter


Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

quantum_flux
Mar 06, 2008

Rank: not rated yet
This is kind of like duckhunt except the buttons don't move around?
Tesla2
Mar 06, 2008

Rank: not rated yet
These guys are a year late and a few dollars short. They should have just bought a Wii.

I don't know how much a "A transparent substrate with tiny pyramid-shaped indents.." with an array of thousands of sensors around the edge of the screen would cost, but it has to be more expensive than a cheap image sensor and 6 IR LEDs.
mrlewish
Mar 06, 2008

Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
laser? are these people crazy? Do they know how many people will be injured by reflection of the laser light? Useless product. not to mention the repeated exposure to the retna of a very bright point source as people focus on where the laser is pointing.
earls
Mar 06, 2008

Rank: not rated yet
What part of "pyramid-shaped indents reflects the light to photodetectors on the edges of the screen" translates into "back at the user's retina?"

I agree with Telsa though... They're a little late.
barakn
Mar 06, 2008

Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Why can't they just keep the volume controls on the remote? Having to aim the remote sounds more difficult, not less.
WolfAtTheDoor
Mar 06, 2008

Rank: not rated yet
It's a novelty, but I don't see it going anywhere. I sit a long ways away from my TV, so a small movement in the remote would cause big jitters when pointing the laser at the screen.
gopher65
Mar 07, 2008

Rank: not rated yet
Well earls, there is no guarantee that people will always point the Remote at the TV. They could accidentally point it at a mirror, or a window, or a persons eye. But I'm sure the Remote has a safety feature that prevents it from activating unless it is pointed straight at the TV.
Argiod
Mar 07, 2008

Rank: not rated yet
Just what I need; an excuse to be even lazier than I already am.
Enter, the Matrix... "There is no television..."
Rank 3.4 /5 (32 votes)
Tags

Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • How to tilt a object
    created13 hours ago
  • How to calculate total compressibility in liquid porous solid system
    created19 hours ago
  • Need help reading 3-D
    createdFeb 11, 2012
  • A way to send and receive wireless data
    createdFeb 11, 2012
  • Calling function with no input argument
    createdFeb 10, 2012
  • Force free body diagram problem on gym equipment
    createdFeb 10, 2012
  • More from Physics Forums - General Engineering

More news stories

Independent group inspects Apple supplier

(AP) -- An independent group, the Fair Labor Association, has started auditing Apple Inc.'s Chinese supplier Foxconn after a request by Apple.

Technology / Business

created 29 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Teaching teens safety in the virtual world

A new cyber safety program on the dangers of social networking is being developed by Flinders University, in light of an alarming report which shows children as young as 12 are meeting internet strangers in ...

Technology / Internet

created 1 hour ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Ethanol mandate not the best option

Many people are willing to pay a premium for ethanol, but not enough to justify the government mandate for the corn-based fuel, a Michigan State University economist argues.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created 1 hour ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Microsoft India retail site down after 'cyber attack'

Microsoft said Monday it was investigating an attack by hackers on its Indian retail website, reportedly carried out by a Chinese group called the "Evil Shadow Team."

Technology / Internet

created 4 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Chinese city seizes Apple iPads in name dispute

(AP) -- Authorities have seized Apple iPads from retailers in a city in northern China due to a dispute with a domestic company that says it owns the iPad name, an official said Monday. The Chinese company said it is asking ...

Technology / Business

created 4 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Fast photon control brings quantum photonic technologies closer

(PhysOrg.com) -- Using photons instead of electrons to transmit information could lead to faster and more secure ways to communicate, among other advantages. Now a team of physicists has taken another step toward realizing ...

Planck mission steps closer to the cosmic blueprint

(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA's Planck mission has revealed that our Galaxy contains previously undiscovered islands of cold gas and a mysterious haze of microwaves. These results give scientists new treasure to mine ...

New ability to regrow blood vessels holds promise for treatment of heart disease

(Medical Xpress) -- University of Texas at Austin researchers have demonstrated a new and more effective method for regrowing blood vessels in the heart and limbs — a research advancement that could have ...

Myths and shame keep many from seeking bankruptcy protection

(PhysOrg.com) -- Two interesting facts that may counter modern ideas about bankruptcy: The overwhelming majority of U.S. filings belong to individuals rather than corporations or entities, and most of these ...

Big Society could threaten biodiversity conservation

A study of the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan (MFSMP), in north-east Scotland, identified four key conditions for long-term success, three of which pointed to the importance of direct government involvement.

Motivation to exercise affects behavior

(Medical Xpress) -- For many people, the motivation to exercise fluctuates from week to week, and these fluctuations predict whether they will be physically active, according to researchers at Penn State. In an effort to ...