KEYnetik Motion Input: carpal tunnel in a convenient handheld prototype!

You know what you need? More wrist flicking. Yeah, forget all that casual button pressing and occasional screen jab that the last couple years of interface design has foisted upon you and start jerking your hand around like an idiot -- preferably while holding a hefty handheld device. KEYnetik's prototype triangulates the input from multiple accelerometers inside this shiny beast, but the end result is one of the most painful looking methods of navigating a phone, PDA or gaming device that we've seen in a long time. Our hats off to you, KEYnetik. Video is after the break.

[Byzil Mystwing @ Feb 5th 2008 7:13AM]

That looks both laggy and annoying. I don't get what's so hard about just using a touch screen and using your thumb to flick through the device for one-handed navigation. I do it all the time on my phone. it's more precise, it's faster, and you don't lose your place if you shift your weight :x

[Niklas @ Feb 5th 2008 7:25AM]

"Yeah, forget all that casual button pressing and occasional screen jab that the last couple years of interface design has foisted upon you and start jerking your hand around like an idiot -- preferably while holding a hefty handheld device."

This sentence leaves so many openings for bad spam/porn jokes. :-D

[Konstantin @ Feb 5th 2008 7:35AM]

That has to be one of the more impractical interfaces ever.

[packetsniffer @ Feb 5th 2008 8:23AM]

Stupid product. But what this has to do with carpal tunnel syndrome is beyond me.

[roc @ Feb 5th 2008 8:31AM]

if it keyed off subtle rotation for smooth scrolling it wouldn't be bad.
but the demo'd controls are -way- too jerky.

[Wwhat @ Feb 5th 2008 8:41AM]

Well summarised engadget, I found just watching the video so exasperating that I had to stop it halfway to prevent mental damage.
And using a professional smooth 'hand model' wasn't the best choice either I think.

[FireStar @ Feb 5th 2008 9:23AM]

That was a hand model? What does your hand look like? lol.
Crappy crappy device. I'll keep my iPhone.

[Wwhat @ Feb 5th 2008 9:54AM]

My hand doesn't look plasticised and being in the hands of a manicurist 4 hours a day, my hand looks like a human hand.

[Wwhat @ Feb 5th 2008 9:54AM]

I think he actually shaved it...

[giftgadgetgateway @ Feb 5th 2008 9:40AM]

Looking at the description, I felt a bit out. Looking at the video, I couldn't help but stop after 10 seconds watching it. If I got hold on this gadget, I am afraid that I will throw it away out of frustration of trying to scroll to the 100th picture.

http://giftgadgetgateway.com

[Malina @ Feb 5th 2008 12:02PM]

Agreed, it seems silly. But, at least they're innovating instead of copying Apple.

[Darkroom @ Feb 5th 2008 12:14PM]

this product looks painful to use

[Emmett @ Feb 5th 2008 12:22PM]

I don't know, I actually like some of the idea. Like the two joysticks combined with the side buttons for all four fingers. Even the motion control could be really good, but their implementation is way to jerky. It would be much better if they allowed subtle tilting to act like a control nub, but only when you press down one of the other buttons...

[Tony Colonello @ Feb 5th 2008 1:44PM]

Great for gaming.....too bad the Wii came out already.

Being of Italian heritage and desperately needing my hands while talking this device would cause me no end of grief. I have enough difficulty with my PDA, there is no telling what I it would be doing trying to interpret the waving of my hands as I talked.

I all seriousness I could see a market for disabled people that did not have the fine motor control need for a stylus or small touch screen.

[Gene Shkolnikov @ Feb 5th 2008 1:57PM]

Dear All,

We really appreciate your comments even if they are not always flattering. Our prototype has a pretty thick skin and is used to periodic bashing. Please keep in mind that this is just an inexpensive proof of concept prototype that is meant to demonstrate how motion input can be used in handhelds. It is not meant for production.

Let me try to address some issues brought up here. The amplitude of the motion can be easily adjusted. For the sake of the video I used higher amplitude moves to better demonstrate motion. We’ve implemented the GUI in FlashLite with some tweening (looks vs. performance), so it does lag a little. I guess the video didn’t do it justice. It actually works quite well even for a prototype. BTW, if you flick and hold it will scroll continuously, which is not shown in the video.

Actually, we are putting out a software only solution for Nokia N95 and you are more than welcome to try it for free. It will be made available at our website: http://www.keynetik.com/. Here is a video of it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/KEYnetik

Oh, and I do have pretty hands. Thanks!

Best Regards,

Gene Shkolnikov
Vice President & COO
KEYnetik, Inc.

[skulldriveshaft @ Feb 5th 2008 6:10PM]

redo your video without music

show a view of what a person would look like using this from 10 feet away.

[Freerefill @ Feb 5th 2008 2:23PM]

Having a touch screen and stylus is as close to a mouse you're going to get at this small of a scale, and a mouse seems to be the happiest way to get things done. A joystick wouldn't be bad, though.

The problem with this is that human physical potential is not always up to scratch with computer software. Look at voice recognition software. Yes, for the most part, it more or less gets the job done. After, how many years of development? And it still has flaws, because humans are so unique in the way they sound. With this, different humans would interpret the instructions differently, and they would have to force themselves to change their natural motion to accommodate the merciless software. I can see how this might be useful, if two conditions were met: First, that it's an option, and NOT the only means of getting things done, nor the only means of getting everything done (even Micro$oft retains the ability to Alt+numpad your way through things). The other condition is that the software is adaptive, much like voice recognition software, or hell, even seat belts are adjustable.

Right now, motion sensing software has severe physical limitations.. as shown by the number of Wiinjuries. Every motion sensing device has to take this into account as the primary deciding factor. Camp value will only sell a product so far before people realize it's simply one more way of doing the same thing, and maybe, even a more difficult way.

[sueb262 @ Feb 5th 2008 3:22PM]

while this looks frustrating to me, i have a friend who has the use of just one hand--this would be great for him.

[TIMMAH! @ Feb 5th 2008 7:19PM]

"Sh-sh-sh-shake it like polaroid picture!"

So all this time bashing things into a table to fix stuff was really about interfacing with the thing...

[Michael Nelson @ Feb 5th 2008 7:48PM]

Snoop D-O-Double-Gizzle!