True Touch: Precise Touch Detection for On-Skin AR/VR Interfaces

Contemporary AR/VR systems use in-air gestures or handheld controllers for interactivity. This overlooks the skin as a convenient surface for tactile, touch-driven interactions, which are generally more accurate and comfortable than free space interactions. We developed RFTouch, an electrical method that enables very precise touch segmentation by using the body as an RF waveguide. We combine this method with computer vision, enabling a system with both high tracking precision and robust touch detection. Our system requires no cumbersome instrumentation of the fingers or hands, requiring only a single wristband and sensors integrated into the headset. We quantify the accuracy of our approach through a user study and demonstrate how it can enable touchscreen-like interactions on the skin.