Zero Touch Frame

[MrAtkinson]

Hi Guys,

Im new to the Arduino and im new to touch frames, I have researched/Googled this ALOT and not really found what i want to do apart from something that will cost hundreds of pounds to build. I am very technically minded but seem to be stumped with this.

I am currently building a home system using an old vaio laptop and an external monitor. The monitor is just standard and the laptop insides are based behind the screen encased in a custom build box (see image attached). This is to be attached to the wall therefore im looking to make the screen a touchscreen but i want to build it instead of buying as this is a completely DIY project.

I have looked at Johnny Lee's videos and thought combining his idea of finger tracking with the wii mote touchscreen but i cannot get the wii mote to pick it up properly with it being so close to the screen.

I came across the zero touch frame and think this is my best bet, would this be something that could be controlled by the Arduino? and if so would it be as simple as wiring the IR LED's and IR Receivers to the Arduino and letting the coding do the rest of the work?

A simpler version of this:
http://www.designboom.com/technology/zerotouch-invisible-touchscreen/

Really appreciate any help i can get.

[Peter_n]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

As far as I know, a capacitive touch screen is okay. Other things are not. A homemade location sensor for a finger will not work properly to operate the screen. Sorry. Can you buy an old laptop or tablet with touch screen ? You can use the Arduino to control lights, and read sensors, and so on.

[Paulcet]

I don't think the Texas A&M Zerotouch could be controlled by a low end ATMega.  But a simple single touch X-Y arrangement might be feasible: Infrared Grid  You would then emulate a touchpad Human Interface Device.

[MrAtkinson]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

The infrared grid is what im after, the zero touch was just as example. Building the frame using the IR LED and receivers i can do easily, im stuck on how to make it work/connect it with the arduino and the coding for it.

Ive tried searching but there is alot of thing on this type of project but nothing with arduino's

any ideas?

Jake

[Grumpy_Mike]

any ideas

This project started life as a touch screen then I modified it into a sound generator. Up until the point where I used a a CUI (Creative USB Interface), it could easily be attached to an Arduino.

http://www.thebox.myzen.co.uk/Hardware/The_Sound_Square.html

Here is the original article from 1994 when it was a touch screen:-
http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/STAFF/A.Wiseman/Acorn/BodyBuild/BB94.html

[MrAtkinson]

Hi Guys, Thanks for the replies.

The sound square idea is what im after in a sense however im looking to place this over a computer screen (the first image i uploaded). I think im on the right track with this though.

I found the image attached on google and have been reading up on it a little but still cannot find much.

Im looking to do something like this. not sure if the arduino will be powerful enough for it so would it work if i had an array like this powered separately but connected to the arduino for the programming side of it?

what im struggling with is what i need to wire the LED receivers to. Would an acquisition card be something i may be able to use? or would an arduino work?

I apologise if these are stupid questions

Jake

[Grumpy_Mike]

The sound square idea is what im after in a sense however im looking to place this over a computer screen

Yes that sound square was designed to fit over the computer monitor. In those days large colour monitors were about 17".

what im struggling with is what i need to wire the LED receivers to.

To inputs on the arduino.
The design I used has all the receivers "wired ored together" that means that you cold not tell what beam was being detected, just that you were detecting something. That might sound odd but as you ( the computer ) had control over what IR LED was being lit, and you only lit one at a time, you knew if that you did not received IR then the LED you were lighting had been blocked.

not sure if the arduino will be powerful enough for it

Yes it would, you are only lighting one LED at a time.

[MrAtkinson]

Hi

Just realised i forgot to attach the image to my last post.

So, Im looking to to have an IR LED array like this:

http://images.gizmag.com/inline/zerotouch-3.png

so ALL LED's are lit and being received by the IR receivers and the software will detect when there is something in the way such as a finger and use the this to detect exactly where the "finger" is.

Sorry if this is what you mean by your last post.

Jake

[Grumpy_Mike]

so ALL LED's are lit

No they are not all lit at the same time. Think about it, that is not what your picture is saying.

[MrAtkinson]

I was under the impression that the IR LED's are lit and when there is a break in the IR beam it calculates the position from there?

Otherwise how would it know if someone touches the screen if nothing is on? Sorry if im being stupid lol

and so i would just wire the LED's to the arduino like the image attached?

Thanks

Jake

[Grumpy_Mike]

The LEDs are turned on one at a time very quickly in turn. At any one time there is only one LED that is switched on.
By knowing what LED is on and what sensors can see the LED then you can find out where the blockage is.

However I can't see how you would actually do this in the way the diagram shows, but that is another matter

[MrAtkinson]

Thanks for all you help. Maybe you have the answer to another question or mine.

Id like to have something where i wave in front of the screen and it turns the screen on, taking away the need of using a button.

I have seen people's youtube videos where they have created a circuit where when they wave over the IR Receiver and emitter an LED flashes on. Is there some way of making it so it turns the screen on and then turns it off when i wave over it again?

[Grumpy_Mike]

What do you mean by "turn the screen on". Do you mean the power to this monitor, or do you mean to blank the display?

where when they wave over the IR Receiver and emitter an LED flashes on.

Not quite sure what you mean. You could have a IR distance sensor that you can trigger your action when something gets closer than a certain distance.

[MrAtkinson]

To turn the screen on as in "wake it up".

This is the type of thing i mean, but instead of it turning the LED on and off it will turn the screen on and off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oGOS1V_VOY

Thanks again for all your help.

[Grumpy_Mike]

To turn the screen on as in "wake it up".

That still does not answer my question:-

Do you mean the power to this monitor, or do you mean to blank the display?

"Wake Up" is not a technical term, it is more of a marketing term.