Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone scale application?

C

Crank Lucas

macrumors member
Original poster
no really Im wondering now I mean the touch screen is pressure sensative, so how hard would it take to have a application (lets call it iScale🙂) that can measure whatever you put on it in grams?

you know, just to measure some small materials 😉

so waddaya think?
 
Not possible. The touch screen can't sense how much weight or pressure you are applying to the screen. It only knows when you are touching it and where. I have thought of this before and I think it would be awesome if it worked.
 
the iPhone does not work on pressure, it works on capacitance ( your finger distorts the electrical field on the surface of the iPhone)

Google it if you don't believe me
 
I have figured out a method

iScale is possible, without external hardware or a strain gauge.

I am working on it right now.

You will be able to weigh objects by placing on your iPhone, from 1/2 ounce to around 1 lb-2 lb.

...its not a pendulum...not a balance...not a touch screen.

Assuming I can get Apple to accept it, look for it soon.
 
questrillion said:
iScale is possible, without external hardware or a strain gauge.

I am working on it right now.

You will be able to weigh objects by placing on your iPhone, from 1/2 ounce to around 1 lb-2 lb.

...its not a pendulum...not a balance...not a touch screen.

Assuming I can get Apple to accept it, look for it soon.
Click to expand...

I'm skeptical as to how this would work. The only thing you have to work with is area of displacement since the capacitive sensors are binary in nature.

Resistive touch screens are pressure sensitive, however. You would be able to weigh small things with those.
 
There is a way...

I understand your skepticism.

I did not know if the method I am using would work or not until I wrote the code and tested.

I hope to have it finished and fully tested in the next 5-10 days.
 
questrillion said:
I understand your skepticism.

I did not know if the method I am using would work or not until I wrote the code and tested.

I hope to have it finished and fully tested in the next 5-10 days.
Click to expand...

HA!

So you're assuming this would work. No code or nothing yet, eh?
 
questrillion said:
iScale is possible, without external hardware or a strain gauge.

I am working on it right now.

You will be able to weigh objects by placing on your iPhone, from 1/2 ounce to around 1 lb-2 lb.

...its not a pendulum...not a balance...not a touch screen.

Assuming I can get Apple to accept it, look for it soon.
Click to expand...

That will be a hit in the underground if you get my drift lol 😛
 
cellocello said:
HA!

So you're assuming this would work. No code or nothing yet, eh?
Click to expand...

I think it could work, just have something on screen, such as a giant touch button, that measures the pressure being applied to the touch portion under the glass. 😉
 
iPhone Savvy said:
I think it could work, just have something on screen, such as a giant touch button, that measures the pressure being applied to the touch portion under the glass. 😉
Click to expand...

'Cause that is, after all, exactly how the iPhone works 😉

No wonder I need to press so hard in some apps!
 
Are you ok with people guessing at it questrillion? I've got an idea as to how you might be doing it but i'm sure that if its something you're making money with then you'd rather keep it shtum and i'm not out to stop that, even if this is a public forum!
 
iPhone Savvy said:
I think it could work, just have something on screen, such as a giant touch button, that measures the pressure being applied to the touch portion under the glass. 😉
Click to expand...

The iPhone's touch mechanism is not analog. It can only sense the presence of something, not the degree of pressure.
 
CalumC said:
Are you ok with people guessing at it questrillion? I've got an idea as to how you might be doing it but i'm sure that if its something you're making money with then you'd rather keep it shtum and i'm not out to stop that, even if this is a public forum!
Click to expand...

Unless he's measuring fingers (and by 'measuring' I mean detecting taps); he's not doing anything.
 
Here's how it would work:

1. Determine how much distributed weight the glass can hold before it shatters.
2. Run the app and then load the screen with item(s) to be weighed.
3. If the screen does not collapse, the item being weighed is lighter than the predetermined weight. If it caves in, it weighs more than the predetermined weight.

Disclaimer: This app may only work once and may void any factory warranties.
 
I works...meaning that changing the weight changes the output in a predictable manner. It is very non-linear, but it can be characterized and calibrated to output the actual weight.

It is coded, but I have not coded the UI...I have only coded the measurement portion.

It am still testing out the calibration methods.

Yes...underground will LOVE it, but it will need to be very accurate for that. Else, it will be good for postal scale, diet scale, but not good for herb scale.

If it provides decent repeatability, Apple will pass it, else, it will go to the jail break market.
 
chrmjenkins said:
The iPhone's touch mechanism is not analog. It can only sense the presence of something, not the degree of pressure.
Click to expand...

Good to know. I guess its like kicking an appliance to make it work.. sometimes i have to push really hard to make that darn SMS load properly in 3.0 😉

Good to know guys, I guess I assumed even though the applications on the iPhone work by touch recognition, not pressure, there would be some way to create an application that can tap in and assume pressure and not just touch. But of course you know what they say about ASS-U-ME.
 
questrillion said:
I works...meaning that changing the weight changes the output in a predictable manner. It is very non-linear, but it can be characterized and calibrated to output the actual weight.

It is coded, but I have not coded the UI...I have only coded the measurement portion.

It am still testing out the calibration methods.

Yes...underground will LOVE it, but it will need to be very accurate for that. Else, it will be good for postal scale, diet scale, but not good for herb scale.

If it provides decent repeatability, Apple will pass it, else, it will go to the jail break market.
Click to expand...

I'm curious how your iPhone detects anything other than fingers. Can you elaborate a bit on that?

I mean ... Mine won't even detect leather gloves, let alone random objects like envelopes or herbs.
 
questrillion said:
I works...meaning that changing the weight changes the output in a predictable manner. It is very non-linear, but it can be characterized and calibrated to output the actual weight.

It is coded, but I have not coded the UI...I have only coded the measurement portion.

It am still testing out the calibration methods.

Yes...underground will LOVE it, but it will need to be very accurate for that. Else, it will be good for postal scale, diet scale, but not good for herb scale.

If it provides decent repeatability, Apple will pass it, else, it will go to the jail break market.
Click to expand...

Given that the screen on my iPhone is completely unresponsive to paper and most dry foods, I doubt it's going to make a decent postal or diet scale.
 
Method

I'm mum until I run it to ground, win or lose.

But, if its turns into a dead end, I'll drop my method out here and maybe someone can improve on it.
 
questrillion said:
I'm mum until I run it to ground, win or lose.

But, if its turns into a dead end, I'll drop my method out here and maybe someone can improve on it.
Click to expand...

It's not really about that.

I mean, you get how the iPhone screen works, right? How is detects presses and what not?
 
Yes...I understand touch detection on the iPhone.

I should have the curve tonight. Then its all about calibration (can it be calibrated to any iphone or is the curve specific to each unit)

Regardless, it is possible. I am doing it. But, it remains to be seen whether or not it can be distributed.
 
iPhone Savvy said:
Good to know. I guess its like kicking an appliance to make it work.. sometimes i have to push really hard to make that darn SMS load properly in 3.0 😉

Good to know guys, I guess I assumed even though the applications on the iPhone work by touch recognition, not pressure, there would be some way to create an application that can tap in and assume pressure and not just touch. But of course you know what they say about ASS-U-ME.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the touch detection is what makes cap screens good for multi-touch. Just a cap array and each cell reports a touch independently.

For a resistive screen, you have a resistive gradient behind the screen. That is to say, each touch point will use trigger a specific resistance, which can be extrapolated by means of measuring current. If you want to do multi-touch, you have to consider that there are many ways to get the same answer, so it becomes a challenge. That is why the G1 has been slow to get it, and at the hands of independent developers.

Based on questrillion's knowledge built into his responses, I'd say he has something going.
 
questrillion said:
Yes...I understand touch detection on the iPhone.

I should have the curve tonight. Then its all about calibration (can it be calibrated to any iphone or is the curve specific to each unit)

Regardless, it is possible. I am doing it. But, it remains to be seen whether or not it can be distributed.
Click to expand...

*shrug*

Ok homie.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back