Autodesk Research, in collaboration with the University of Alberta and University of Toronto, has developed a prototype for its user-controlled “always-available input“, the Magic Finger.

This device is able to turn literally any solid surface into a touchpad, the upshot of this is people can effectively do away with mice. Integrating a micro RGB camera, LED light and optical mouse sensor, the Magic Finger can be configured to operate any number of smart devices.

This essentially means you can access and interact with your smartphone or tablet remotely, as long as the device is within viewing distance.

Initial trials of the device bring up issues of practicality, as it often inhibits the freedom of the users hand for other tasks.

The development of the Magic Finger makes sense considering the vast number of tablets available at the moment. These products are going to be with us for the foreseeable future, so a device that hinges off that philosophy was bound to arrive eventually. One finger to rule them all.

The device is obviously not fully optimised, but a refined version of the Magic Finger would undoubtedly have many practical applications.