Velocity Sensing for Tablets and Touch Screens - Crazy Idea

[siriusbliss]

The screen surface DOES flex on iPads.
It's subtle, but I think can be sensitive enough to map to velocity.
Just need Apple to build in this feature.
There are other industries that could use this feature.

G

[Kalamata Kid]

The screen surface DOES flex on iPads.
It's subtle, but I think can be sensitive enough to map to velocity.
Just need Apple to build in this feature.
There are other industries that could use this feature.

G

Non-musical users may not require 128 levels of velocity sensitivity and so I am concerned that Apple and Samsung may opt for only a limited levels of velocity sensitivity. On the other hand that technology may be so robust and economical that they may opt for more levels than 128. Just guessing here.

This no doubt will usher a renaissance of music making apps which incorporate the new velocity sensing technology. Seeing the genius of todays app developers makes me an optimist in the future for the open minded creative musicians that take advantage of this and other technologies.

[PsYcHo SaMuRai]

deleted...

poop!
I tried to edit a mispelling and hit quote instead of edit.

[skipscada]

Surely mapping finger surface area depressed on the screen is a better and already developed way to imitate velocity

Is this developed? I thought of it myself after seeing OP's suggestion. An obvious problem is that fingers on the same hand have different sizes and shapes, so how would the software know if it's a lightly pressed ring finger or a heavily pressed pinkie? Perhaps the speed of area increase/decrease after initial impact? Also, wouldn't it be problematic that especially the thumb can hit the surface in many different ways.

On a sidenote: camera tracking for drummers: http://aerodrums.com/aerodrums-product-page/.

[Kalamata Kid]

Surely mapping finger surface area depressed on the screen is a better and already developed way to imitate velocity

Is this developed? I thought of it myself after seeing OP's suggestion. An obvious problem is that fingers on the same hand have different sizes and shapes, so how would the software know if it's a lightly pressed ring finger or a heavily pressed pinkie? Perhaps the speed of area increase/decrease after initial impact? Also, wouldn't it be problematic that especially the thumb can hit the surface in many different ways.

On a sidenote: camera tracking for drummers: http://aerodrums.com/aerodrums-product-page/.

Interesting video. I believe you are correct about the accuracy on the finger "foot print". The drumstick ball is used to track the spatial location, I assume and in my OP I used dots on the finger. Does it also track velocity? The dots perhaps can be much smaller than I have drawn on my fingernails or no dots at all if the tracking technology does not strain the processor.

[dformd]

Velocity sensing has got to be possible; just a matter of finding the most elegant solution. In terms of using add-on devices (perhaps not the ideal route; I know) I suspect Wacom's infra-red and ultrasonic Inkling could point the way.
http://www.wacom.com/en/ca/creative/inkling

[Kalamata Kid]

Yes, best if the velocity sensitivity is built into the tablet.
However not so bad to have an accessory.
My computer accessories:
QWERTY keyboard
Mouse
Two Monitors
Headphones
Studio monitors
UPS
MOTU 8x8 midi patchbay
Shuttle Pro
ExpressionMate
FireBox
Ipad as a mid Controller
iConnectMIDI2+
Midi Keyboard
Also transformers and adaptors.
So one more accessory will not bother me. Well perhaps a little.
If this accessory can add velocity sensetivety to my iPad then bring it o-o-o-on.

[Absent.]

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Surely mapping finger surface area depressed on the screen is a better and already developed way to imitate velocity

Is this developed? I thought of it myself after seeing OP's suggestion. An obvious problem is that fingers on the same hand have different sizes and shapes, so how would the software know if it's a lightly pressed ring finger or a heavily pressed pinkie? Perhaps the speed of area increase/decrease after initial impact? Also, wouldn't it be problematic that especially the thumb can hit the surface in many different ways.

On a sidenote: camera tracking for drummers: http://aerodrums.com/aerodrums-product-page/ (http://aerodrums.com/aerodrums-product-page/).

This is already developed, Apple hold patents that can detect 'velocity' by measuring how much of your finger is flattened on the screen.

You can imagine a capacitative touchscreen as a grid of dots which respond when your finger touches a certain point.
Normally, the computer will work out which dot is at the centre of your fingertip and pass that along as the input, i.e. pressing a button.
Instead, the computer can measure the total area underneath your fingertip and apply a velocity value based upon the distance between the furthest two edges.

As someone mentioned on page one, a couple developers have already gotten a slap on the wrist for implementing this technique before Apple was ready to release it in a more polished form.

The major drawback to this is that whilst hitting keys harder to play louder is intuitive, learning to press the screen in a different manner to change the velocity is less spad.

A different workaround that works quite well in practice is the method that Caustic 3 uses on its drum machine, using long thin pads which give higher or lower velocity values based on where you touch the pad

Just my 2c

[Kalamata Kid]

Surely mapping finger surface area depressed on the screen is a better and already developed way to imitate velocity

Is this developed? I thought of it myself after seeing OP's suggestion. An obvious problem is that fingers on the same hand have different sizes and shapes, so how would the software know if it's a lightly pressed ring finger or a heavily pressed pinkie? Perhaps the speed of area increase/decrease after initial impact? Also, wouldn't it be problematic that especially the thumb can hit the surface in many different ways.

On a sidenote: camera tracking for drummers: http://aerodrums.com/aerodrums-product-page/.

This is already developed, Apple hold patents that can detect 'velocity' by measuring how much of your finger is flattened on the screen.

You can imagine a capacitative touchscreen as a grid of dots which respond when your finger touches a certain point.
Normally, the computer will work out which dot is at the centre of your fingertip and pass that along as the input, i.e. pressing a button.
Instead, the computer can measure the total area underneath your fingertip and apply a velocity value based upon the distance between the furthest two edges.

As someone mentioned on page one, a couple developers have already gotten a slap on the wrist for implementing this technique before Apple was ready to release it in a more polished form.

The major drawback to this is that whilst hitting keys harder to play louder is intuitive, learning to press the screen in a different manner to change the velocity is less spad.

A different workaround that works quite well in practice is the method that Caustic 3 uses on its drum machine, using long thin pads which give higher or lower velocity values based on where you touch the pad

Just my 2c

Pretty much agree with everything you said.

"using long thin pads which give higher or lower velocity values based on where you touch the pad" in one app this is well implemented and in enChord is poorly implemented. I however find it difficult to play this way but with more practice I can imagine I can get better at it.

I still think the two camera idea to measure fingertip velocity is a reasonable way to accomplish this. The technology is presently available.

[setAI]

this seems like a lot of complicated stuff to do something that any tablet should already be able to do- touchscreens use very detailed maps of your finger touches- velocity can simply be tracked by measuring the area of the touch- the harder you press the larger your finger's touch footprint- any synth could apply a simple little algorithm to use this for velocity- you could also use the accelerometer - which is sensitive enough as well-

[Kalamata Kid]

this seems like a lot of complicated stuff to do something that any tablet should already be able to do- touchscreens use very detailed maps of your finger touches- velocity can simply be tracked by measuring the area of the touch- the harder you press the larger your finger's touch footprint- any synth could apply a simple little algorithm to use this for velocity- you could also use the accelerometer - which is sensitive enough as well-

I believe that Absent explained some of the issues relating to the fingertip surface area to effect velocity. This is a less than ideal proposal. For the time being anything that will mimic velocity is ok in my book.

My proposal to use two cameras will yield a more accurate velocity sensing and the technology to do this is available now.

[evolvetek]

[Kalamata Kid]

Hard to believe that it does velocity so well.
Can each key have a different velocity?
Which app is this?
Link please.