Customizable and reconfigurable virtual instrument panel

A method of controlling a device with reconfigurable interface components comprising:

• providing an interface surface having optical scanning elements disposed therein;
• coupling an interface component to a first side of the interface surface, wherein the interface component includes markings on a surface of the interface component;
• moving the interface component;
• analyzing the movement of the interface component using the markings and the optical scanning elements, thereby forming position data;
• and
• controlling the device using the positional data.

A method of controlling a device with reconfigurable interface components comprising:

• providing an interface surface with a first side and a second side;
• coupling at least one control component for controlling a device with the second side of the interface surface;
• coupling at least one interface component to the first side of the interface surface, wherein the at least one control component contains at least one Hall effect sensor disposed therein, wherein the at least one interface component contains at least one magnet disposed therein, the method further comprising:
• moving the at least one interface component, thereby varying a magnetic field created by the at least one magnet;
• measuring the variations of the magnetic field by the Hall effect sensor, thereby determining the position of the magnet, thus creating positional data;
• controlling the device using the positional data.