Having a multitouch display on your smartphone is nice and all, but it’s not exactly the best configuration for single-handed operation. Some researchers from University of Calgary have come up with what they feel is a better solution: the Fat Thumb.

The idea is actually brilliant in its simplicity. The smartphone simply has to detect the contact surface area from your thumb. If you have a smaller contact area, then it works like a regular tap. If you press harder (and thus have a larger contact size), it performs a different function. The video below, for instance, demonstrates how the Fat Thumb can replace pinch-to-zoom in a mapping application.

This was developed for the iPhone, but I don’t see why this couldn’t easily be adapted to Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note too. What do you think? Do you think Fat Thumb is an improvement over multitouch?

Via iPhone in Canada