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prox-sense

prox-sense is a series of printed circuit board (PCB) designs for designed to bring robust and discreet capacitive proximity and touch sensing to artists and makers.

Video demonstration and poster: Hidden Touch: Open Source Sensors for New Interaction

This repository contains the KiCAD schematics, boards, and Gerber files required to produce the sensing boards. License notice below.

prox-sense directional board

Premise

Existing systems for creating interactive experiences:

  • Expensive
  • Can be difficult to use or understand
  • Limited or nonexistent proximity detection (existing capacitive options)
  • Dense arrangements of proximity sensors may not function (existing capacitive options)
  • Connectivity options do not scale up to large systems of sensors
  • Equivalent/alternative optical systems are intrusive, expensive, or predictable (cameras, vision systems)
  • Require large amounts of processing or setup
  • Existing tactile systems are predictable (buttons, knobs, touchscreens, etc.)

prox-sense promotes discoverable and new interactions:

  • Inexpensive
  • Focus on proximity detection
  • Proximity through solid and opaque objects (sensors can be entirely hidden)
  • Directional proximity detection options allow for dense arrangements
  • Interaction is led by the objects the sensors are hidden in and the resulting interactions, not the sensors and sensor limitations
  • Small sensors allow for small detection areas and objects
  • Simple connectivity scales up to large systems without limiting the maximum number of easily-connected sensors
  • Open source and free to produce

Boards

Currently all boards are based around the Microchip MTCH105

  • Simple GPIO interface for detection and sensitivity adjustment. The standard logic output can be used directly with microcontrollers, logic circuits, transistors, muxes, and port expanders
  • Rejects liquids and other uncertain signal sources
  • Supports guard reference signal for solid interference mitigation
  • All boards currently use the same schematic but vary the copper/trace layout to achieve different detection patterns

Directional board

  • Detects proximity and touch only directly in front of the sensors
  • Rejects rear and off-axis (side) detection using guard signal
  • Guard signal on edge allows for close-packing of sensors

Omnidirectional board

  • Detects proximity and touch from all directions
  • Guard signal on edge allows for close-packing of sensors

License Notice

Copyright Perry Naseck 2022.

This source describes Open Hardware and is licensed under the CERN-OHL-S v2.

You may redistribute and modify this source and make products using it under the terms of the CERN-OHL-S v2 (https://ohwr.org/cern_ohl_s_v2.txt).

This source is distributed WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, INCLUDING OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Please see the CERN-OHL-S v2 for applicable conditions.

Source location: https://github.com/DaAwesomeP/prox-sense

As per CERN-OHL-S v2 section 4, should You produce hardware based on this source, You must where practicable maintain the Source Location visible on the external case of the prox-sense or other products you make using this source.