In the near future, you may not need to touch a keypad to select a tip or pay for large purchases. All it may take is a swipe, tap or other quick gesture.
Hygienic tips
The innovation utilizes near-field communication (NFC), the short-range wireless technology embedded in smartphones, payment cards and terminals, passports and key fobs. UBC computer scientists say it could help prevent the spread of germs through touchpads, speed up transactions, and improve accessibility for users unable to press buttons.
Researchers debuted the technology in a paper at the User Interface Software and Technology conference yesterday.
"Now, we can provide contactless interactions that didn't even exist before: make a gesture with your existing card to input a PIN or pick a tip amount," says senior author Dr. Robert Xiao.
How it works
Dr. Xiao and doctoral student Bu Li analyzed raw signals from NFC chips and introduced copper coils to manipulate the generated magnetic field. By examining changes in the field as a card moved through it, they were able to define nine distinct gestures, including swiping up and down, left to right, and double tapping. Using a custom AI model, the team found the reader could distinguish between gestures with about 92 per cent accuracy.
"Gesture interaction could also add an extra layer of security," said Li.
Innovation on the cheap
The researchers estimate upgrades would cost at most $20 per payment terminal. "Many pay terminals already have the computing power required and if they don't, it's a cheap upgrade," said Dr. Xiao.
The team is working with UBC to patent the technology.
