In this paper, we present Presstures, an extension to current multi-touch operations that enriches common multi-finger gestures with pressure information. By using the initially applied pressure level for implicit mode switching, a gesture can be enhanced with different functionalities to enlarge the interaction space for multi-touch. To evaluate the feasibility of our concept, we conducted an experiment, which indicates good human sensorimotor skills for performing multi-touch gestures with a few number of pressure levels and without any additional feedback. Based on the experimental results, we discuss implications for the design of pressure-sensitive multi-touch gestures, and propose application scenarios that make optimal use of our concept.

Ferroelectric material supports both pyro- and piezoelectric effects that can be used for sensing pressures on large, bended surfaces. We present PyzoFlex, a pressure-sensing input device that is based on a ferroelectric material. It is constructed with a sandwich structure of four layers that can be printed easily on any material. We use this material in combination with a high-resolution Anoto-sensing foil to support both hand and pen input tracking. The foil is bendable, energy-efficient, and it can be produced in a printing process. Even a hovering mode is feasible due to its pyroelectric effect. In this paper, we introduce this novel input technology and discuss its benefits and limitations.