Drone control with the swipe of a finger? Chinese team shows how it is done

A wearable touchpad that works via a series of swipe patterns could revolutionise drone control, according to a Chinese study

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A screengrab from a demonstration video by a Chinese team showcasing drone control with a simple swipe on an advanced wearable touchpad. Photo: Handout

Published: 12:00pm, 11 Nov 2024Updated: 2:04pm, 11 Nov 2024

Chinese researchers have released a video demonstrating the latest innovation in drone control – where a user can command a drone by simply swiping their fingers across a wearable touchpad.

Swipe patterns are instantly recognised by the advanced touchpad, which then sends the signals to a drone control platform via an external Bluetooth transmitter. Seamless interaction then allows the control platform to relay the commands to the drone.

“Amid growing demand for more compact, intelligent and multifunctional human-machine interfaces, this high-performance touchpad marks a significant leap forward for the next generation of intelligent remote interactive platforms,” Tian Ye, associate professor at China’s Northeastern University, told the South China Morning Post in an interview on Wednesday.

Results of the study were detailed in a recent paper in the peer-reviewed journal Nano Energy.

The touchpad, similar in feel to a Band-Aid, has a layered structure that mimics the soft, skin-like texture ideal for wearable devices.

“The base layer is made from Ecoflex, a soft rubber, while the middle layers consist of liquid metal electrodes and nine hydrogel arrays to collect touch signals,” PhD candidate Liu He, the study’s first author, explained.

“The top layer, crafted with sandpaper micro-surfaces, enhances sensitivity. The touchpad’s flexible design allows it to stretch to as much as 400 per cent of its original surface area.”