Google's New Headphone Cord Lets You Control Your Phone By Touching It

Google is working on a headphone cord that allows users to control their smartphones with touch sensing. Each motion like patting, grabbing, pinching, flicking, or sliding a finger along or twisting the wire would trigger different functions.

For example, by tapping the wire, users can pause or play audio; by double-tapping on the wire, users can move to the next track; or by rolling between fingers, they can adjust the volume. In addition, featuring fiber optic strands, the braided wire lights up in different colors when different functions are activated.

Last week, the tech giant detailed its project in a blog post. Earlier 2020, the company first revealed the prototype at an AI event in the US.

The braided cord consists of 3 or more woven material strands, using a “helical sensing matrix” to sense multiple touch controls at whichever spot along the cord. The blog post wrote:

“Pinching and rolling the cord activates a set of electrodes and allows us to track relative motion.”

It senses where on the cord users touch, which area, for how long, and if there is any pressure or rolling movement.

In a study of this prototype, involving 12 participants, it turned out that the cord’s gesture recognition was 94% accurate. Google said in the study that its e-textile’s twisting is faster compared to current headphone button controls and can compete with a touch surface.

Apart from this braided wire, Google has previously made other attempts in creating high-tech fabrics. In 2015, the company debuted its Jacquard initiative that allows users to control devices with their clothes and accessories through gestures and taps.

In March 2020, Google partnered with Adidas and Electronic Arts, unveiling a smart show insole. In 2019, the tech giant announced a bag with a smart strap enabled with touch and tap. The company also announced a smart denim jacket, in collaboration with Levi’s, that lets wearers get traffic updates or control music by swiping the cuff on the sleeve.

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