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Home / News / Transparent tablet cover for multilayer input is Microsoft’s latest experimental wonder

Transparent tablet cover for multilayer input is Microsoft’s latest experimental wonder

And like most Microsoft Research concepts, it may never be more than a neat demo

Microsoft Research tends to show off its experimental projects in waves, and just this morning, we saw its wild RoomAlive gaming concept. By contrast, FlexSense is a much simpler and subtler project, but it’s no less intriguing.

Essentially, FlexSense is a transparent, self-sensing surface that can sit atop a tablet – a surface on a Surface, for example – and recognize itself being folded, contorted, and flipped up off of the touch display. It’s like a see-through sheet of paper that sits atop your tablet.

What’s the point, you might ask? As the video above shows, there are real productive opportunities here, such as working with multiple layers in Photoshop, or creating animation by flipping between a completed cel and then drawing the next in the sequence.

But there are also entertainment opportunities here, with the demos showing a user flipping the cover upwards to view a crossword solution, or flapping the surface like it’s a flying carpet soaring through a 3D environment.

Microsoft developed two new algorithms to interpret the 16 sensors built into FlexSense, and it requires no external camera to function. Like most Microsoft Research revelations, we very well may never see this tech appear as-is in a consumer product. But the know-how could pop up years from now in a very meaningful way.

[Source: Microsoft Research via The Verge]

READ MORE: Microsoft’s RoomAlive project turns your entire living room into a video game

Profile image of Andrew Hayward Andrew Hayward Freelance Writer

About

Andrew writes features, news stories, reviews, and other pieces, often when the UK home team is off-duty or asleep. I'm based in Chicago with my lovely wife, amazing son, and silly cats, and my writing about games, gadgets, esports, apps, and plenty more has appeared in more than 75 publications since 2006.

Areas of expertise

Video games, gadgets, apps, smart home