The Library of Utopia People Power 2.0
French physicists Ros Kiri Ing and Mathias Fink have figured out how to turn any rigid surface into an interface for electronic systems. The technology -- which the pair hope to commercialize via their Paris-based startup, Sensitive Object -- uses one or two inexpensive accelerometers to detect finger taps on, say, a storefront display window or a keyboard drawn on a blackboard. A computer chip calculates the precise origin of each tap and translates that information into mouse clicks and keystrokes. Users might use the technology, for example, to "click" on a storefront mannequin's hat to learn its price. Ing says the technique has advantages over other user interfaces under development because it can work with a surface as large as four square meters, and the number of "keys" can reach 544.
Voltage is the difference of electrical potential between two points of an electrical or electronic circuit, expressed in volts. It measures the potential energy of an electric field to cause an electric current in an electrical conductor.
Most measurement devices can measure voltage. Two common voltage measurements are direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC).
Learn the fundamentals of creating an AC or DC voltage measurement system. See how to properly connect the signals to your data acquisition system for accurate acquisition.
This document is part of the How-To Guide for Most Common Measurements centralized resource portal.
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