The mass adoption of touchscreens has given rise to a very defined smartphone style with fewer physical buttons. The problem is that many users prefer that kind of interaction, and the only way to get it back is through external accessories. With this in mind, the team at Disney Research created a series of prototypes called Acoustruments that use sound to control the smartphone and even transform it into something different.
A tangible alternative
No one denies that much progress has been made in recent years, but one of the many truths associated with smartphones (and that manufacturers prefer to keep hidden) is that interacting with them remains equivalent to touching a piece of glass. In the past we have seen multiple projects seeking to optimize the touch experience on a smartphone, yet only a handful managed to reach the market with a lamentable performance, such as the case of Pressy virtually massacred by critics. Now the people at Disney Research arrive with an idea called Acoustruments. The main objective of this development is to bring "tangible functionality" to a mobile device, which means going beyond a simple button.
How Acoustruments work
The Acoustruments work passively, meaning they do not depend on batteries nor draw power from the smartphone... at least not in the traditional way. What they do need is sound. The smartphone's speaker emits specific waves, while the microphone monitors the output at all times. The Acoustruments do nothing more than alter the acoustic properties of that output, so their applications include buttons, switches, sliders, potentiometers, and even pressure sensors. Add to that the transformation potential each Acoustrument offers, since the smartphone could incorporate elements such as physical controls for the alarm, and smart cases that send commands according to where we press.
Needless to say, the Acoustruments are for now a proof of concept, and there don't seem to be plans to launch them to market in the short term. Personally, I can't imagine Disney selling smartphone accessories, but that doesn't change the fact that Acoustruments represent a very interesting way to reuse the resources already available in a mobile device.
Disney Research
