Noise robust source localization on solid surfaces

We propose a new approach to the development of a touch interface using surface-mounted sensor which allows one to convert a rigid surface into a touch pad. This is achieved by using location template matching (LTM), a source localization algorithm that is robust to dispersion and multipath. In this interdisciplinary research, we analyze the mechanical model for vibrations due to impacts on plate surface and show that band-limited components (BLCs) of a signal can be employed as its location-dependent features. A measure for signal matching is then proposed based on the cross correlation of BLCs. The measure exploits velocity dispersion among the BLCs to discriminate the library data that matches the test signal from those that do not match. Experiment results show that under noisy environments the proposed BLC-LTM outperform existing LTM techniques when the environment noise is band-limited.