Invited paper: The breadth-depth dichotomy: Opportunities and crises in expanding sensing capabilities

Abstract

A simple touch is not simple. What we think of as "touch" actually includes a variety of object-sensing technologies and an even wider variety of information that can be detected about the sensed objects. This wide range of capabilities forces developers to choose between designing once for a "lowest-common-denominator" platform (breadth) or significantly redesigning their software for each hardware capability (depth). This dichotomy threatens the future of touch computing as a platform for innovation.