Google’s Android operating system for mobile phones has taken a new turn thanks to visionaries like Mark Hamblin and his partners at Touch Revolution.

Hamblin, who helped design the original touchscreen for the Apple iPhone, has been geeking the Android platform to help manufactures create a seemingly endless number of potential gadgets other than just phones. As the name suggests, Touch Revolution specializes in making touch-screen a technology for devices they have dubbed as NIMble™ (Natural Interface Module). The Touch Revolution products rely on projected capacitive touch technology, which is similar to what’s used on the iPhone. It works with a grid of tiny wires that sit between two layers of glass and sense your finger’s movement. That technology is more expensive but Hamblin insists that a better touch experience is worth the extra price. Judging by the tremendous success of the iPhone I think it’s safe to say he’s probably on to something.

Touch Revolution demoed a microwave and a washing machine at their latest show using the Android platform. Just imagining the possibilities of a device with a touch screen OS that can access the internet with wifi or eithernet in your own home is enough to make any tech geek start drooling. Lights, television, speakers, stoves, DVRs, cable boxes, you name it… controlled by a panel in a wall, a hand held tablet or… your smart phone? I wonder if there’s an app for that?

In a blog post dated January 5th, 2010 the founder and CEO described his 10 Keys to a Great Touch Design:

1.) The Right Mindset
You need to approach the design holistically — a touch interface cannot be an afterthought.

2.) Capacitive Touch Sensor
They require only a lightweight touch of the finger, do not require a stylus, can be mounted flush with the bezel or face of the product, are easy to clear, and are very scratch resistant.

3.) “Touch OS”
Its important to have an platform or OS designed for touch on your device. Features like “flick to scroll”, “swipe”, and “drag & drop” are already built-in to the OS and don’t have to be re-engineered from scratch each time an app is created or revised.

4.) Integration Testing
Integrating a sensitive capacitive touch sensor into a product is often underestimated, and I’ve seen many people pay the price.

5.) Graphics and Processing Horsepower
An advanced UI is pointless unless the hardware has enough horsepower to run it well, without lags, delays, or choppiness.

6.) LCD Selection
Important factors to consider include understanding RF/EMI issues between the LCD and touch sensor, matching the active area and viewing angles, minimizing optical losses, and bonding/sealing the LCD and touch sensors properly, among many others.

7.) Mechanical Integration
The touch sensor must be integrated correctly to prevent breakage in the event of a drop, to prevent even slight deflections that could interfere with the capacitive sensing baseline, and to eliminate any issues.

8.) Industrial Design
This is important not only for the UI design, but for the physical design as well. The entire interactive product experience must be designed holistically, not as a smattering of components that comes together at the last minute.

9.) Optimized Touch Software
The firmware running on the touch controller, the touch driver running in the OS, and the driver for the LCD itself are all important, and all must be optimized for fast response time quick refresh.  Any lags in this software stack will result in a terrible user experience.

10.) Great UI
A touch screen interface should not just be a series of “virtual buttons”. The interface should be intuitive, accessible, inviting, and responsive.

Hamblin suggested that some manufactures (their clients) would be shipping devices in the late 3rd to early 4th quarter of 2010. I for one can’t wait to see some of the kewl gadgets are in store!

I’d be happy with a universal remote for my theater… What would you like to see?

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