When smartwatches started appearing on store shelves, there was one nagging question about the devices: “How can anyone play Angry Birds on this?”

A solution is imminent.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Group have made the process of flinging colorful birds at evil pigs as simple as stroking your forearm. The SkinTrack system has two primary components: a signal-emitting ring that’s worn the index finger and a sensing band. The ring sends high-frequency electrical signals through the skin, and electrodes in the sensor band detect the signal’s phase differences to track distance and movement. 

Arms the New Iphone
As our devices shrink, researchers are looking for new ways for us to interact with a limited amount of real estate. This often means taking the surface of interaction off of our phones and tablets and moving it somewhere more convenient. Our skin conducts electricity, and touch-screens already rely on the minute electrical forces at the tips of our fingers to track movements. Moving the trackpad onto flesh was a logical next step.