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Virtual Button Technology

XTouch Can Make Your Mobile Device's Surrounding Area Tap Sensitive

— June 23, 2014 — Tech
A Canadian company has found a way to make every surface tap sensitive. XTouch uses the internal microphone of a phone to create virtual buttons on the surrounding surface, allowing you to control apps and perform actions on your phone without touching the screen.

When you lay your phone flat on the surface you want to use as a button controller, you can create up to three virtual buttons by tapping the area you would like to use. XTouch Founder Amin Heidari describes it this technology as extending "the tactile environment beyond the surface of that mobile device."

To make surfaces tap sensitive, no external hardware is necessary. From cooking to game-playing, this technology has several uses. You can even use it to create a makeshift snooze button.
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Buttons - The increasing demand for touchless interfaces to control devices provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for other industries such as smart homes, automobiles and wearables.
2. Surrounding Surface Controller - This technology presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the gaming industry as it opens the possibility of new immersive gaming experiences by using an expanded gaming surface area and control system.
3. Touchless Tactile Environment - This trend poses a disruptive innovation opportunity for the medical industry as it enables touchless controls for medical devices and minimizes the spread of infections among medical staff and patients.
Industry Implications
1. Mobile Devices - XTouch technology can be integrated into smartphones and tablets to provide a unique selling point for touchless devices and opens the possibility of new markets for touchless device accessories.
2. Gaming - This technology can be used in gaming accessories, providing a platform for expansion and innovation of immersive gaming experiences.
3. Medical Devices - XTouch can support medical devices, making the use of equipment more hygienic and improving medical procedures with touchless control options.
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