This paper discussed the creation of a ferromagnetic input device which allowed the creation of any shape input formed with ferrous. The device has the ability to take input from such things as ball bearings, ferrous bladders, and any other kind of magnetic substances and use them as if they a were a track ball, a touch pad, or anything else you would like them to be. This was done through the use of multiple coil rapped permant magnetics configured in a checkerboard pattern (i.e. opposite poles) on top of a board that processed the data and sent it to the computer and was translated using a custom C# library.
This paper is very interesting because it offers a very user configurable input method. However with that diversitility there is a requirement of a complete library to be able to use any shape input device which I dont feel is possible as of yet. This is do to the fact that literly any touch or change of shape could/should be transfered into a type of input and even though the sensors will pick this up I dont see it being possible to then use that input in a meaningful way easily in a variety of programs which severly hampers the uses that can be obtained from this technology. But I do see the many possiblities this has to offer due to the magnetic displacement of almost every object once the technology has progressed far enough almost anything will be able to used as an input device and not just ferrous.
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