Peregrine wires you into a keyboard, we go hands-in

Got a game with a lot of commands, but are sick of supporting the Big Keyboard industry? Meet your rebel input replacement, the Peregrine. Demonstrated to us at E3, the Peregrine is basically an elastic glove with some wires sewn into it at various points. Connecting one of those points to conductive patches on the palm and thumb creates an electrical circuit, which the glove's brain converts to a keypress. It's like a glove but with power -- a sort of power glove, if you will. The main application is MMOs, where you could touch your thumb and forefinger together to cast a spell in a role-playing game or touch your middle finger to your palm to heal yourself. Or your character, anyway. More impressions and some spec-ops intrigue after the break.

Gallery: Peregrine Glove

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There are 40 total combinations of contact points on the glove that you can use and configure to do whatever you like. It's not particularly suitable for fast-paced games like first-person shooters, but for World of Warcraft and Everquest addicts it could be perfect. Gamers could use the mouse with their right hand and wear the glove on the left, touching and tapping their way through the next level grind. It's even washable, so reach for those Cheetos with abandon.

The glove is slated to cost $129, ship sometime this Fall, and since it's basically just a USB keyboard it'll work with almost everything. Yes, that price is awfully high, but it's actually a surprisingly durable feeling product, developed up to military specifications. Why to military specs? That, sadly, they wouldn't tell us, but surely some special ops soldier in a dark corridor somewhere is strangling a bad guy whilst wearing one of these, and that's totally awesome.

[Christian G @ Jun 4th 2009 9:38PM]

May I touch myself with this glove?

[iPhone_vs_Pre @ Jun 4th 2009 10:17PM]

"It's like a glove but with power -- a sort of power glove, if you will.``

You guys never heard of a thing called NINTENDO!

well, N-I-N-T-E-N-D-O also had a little device called a power glove... whoa! did that just go over your puny little head!

AHAHAHAH!!

nubs!

[Taylor @ Jun 4th 2009 11:35PM]

iPhone_vs_Pre:

*WOOOOOOOOOSH*
Oh, did I just hear a reference fly over someone's head?

[yuriythebest @ Jun 5th 2009 1:01AM]

iPhone_vs_Pre - ever heard of S-A-R-C-A-S-M?

[Prokanda @ Jun 5th 2009 1:19AM]

he's always talking some such nonsense... he just likes the look of his own text. don't feel the tardtrolls.

[Prokanda @ Jun 5th 2009 1:19AM]

or *feed. (although, I'm pretty sure that no one wants to "feel" him either, so both are correct) >.

[Richard @ Jun 4th 2009 9:41PM]

pretty cool... I'd be willing to give this a shot. I've wanted to try a "novelty" (for lack of a better term) controller for a while but the support for the Novint Falcon sucks (how can you not have Modern Warfare yet??) and the NIA from OCZ is a bit touchy.

[overdawg07 @ Jun 4th 2009 9:44PM]

@Richard. If you are looking for a glove that isn't "a bit touchy", then this one is probably not for you. :]

[Richard @ Jun 4th 2009 10:34PM]

Well played!

[Brent Baier @ Jun 5th 2009 3:33AM]

Richard,

Gimme a temporary email address so I can send you my contact info and I will send you a free one when they come out. I am pretty sure you will like it. :)

[Timerider @ Jun 5th 2009 11:07AM]

I saw a Novint Falcon half-off when Comp-USA went out of business. Too bad they didn't have much support.

Idea for the glove: accelerometers to detect orientation. A palm up button press is different than a palm down press.

[Richard @ Jun 5th 2009 3:27PM]

@Brent

Thank you! That would be awesome! My email address is [e-mail]

[Rey @ Jun 4th 2009 9:42PM]

MMOs? Who uses the mouse to move their character, not having WASD will be a failboat
The gloves thing would be for games where you use the keyboard only for hot keys, say RTS games

[Mark @ Jun 4th 2009 11:22PM]

The middle mouse wheel also can move the character forward. You just can't strafe. But that alone is good enough. And sure, you can still use the WASD keys with the glove on.

[Rey @ Jun 5th 2009 12:09AM]

seems slower to touch fingers then press down on a key, plus I strafe a lot

[Brent Baier @ Jun 5th 2009 2:59AM]

Good observation on the WASD, we don't recommend using it for WASD but rather as a supplement to the keyboard in games like WoW. It really depends on the play style, some people will love it and some people won't find much use for it.

Brent

[Tripp @ Jun 10th 2009 5:27PM]

There's nothing stopping you from mapping the WASD keys to gestures on the glove. you also have the option to map the A and D to buttons on the controller (Like the back and forward buttons on the Logitech G5 for example)

[Firebird @ Jun 4th 2009 9:47PM]

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I read this and thought "...the things I could use this for in photoshop and illustrator..."

[Templarian @ Jun 4th 2009 11:16PM]

My hand are way to use to the hot keys... my brain would die trying to rewire itself.

On another note one of these days I'm going to make a system where I can throw a ball at the wall of a cubical to do hot keys. Then if I get board I can just use a nerf gun.

[Will @ Jun 5th 2009 12:08AM]

yeah i just caught the vision, i use photoshop and illustrator all day. that glove would be cool

[Brent Baier @ Jun 5th 2009 3:05AM]

Firebird,

Very insightful comment :) I just finished E3 (I'm the inventor of the Peregrine) and we had TONS of graphics artists very excited about programming the glove to perform shortcuts in programs like Illustrator and Photoshop. And yes, it's a very good application for it. Being able to rest your arm in a comfortable position while you do hours of editing....well, I don't think I need to say more.

The software allows you to easily reprogram it and because it uses standard HID keyboard drivers it will just work. Trust me. We plugged it into a military computer that was supposed to be locked down so nothing else could be installed on it and it made the little device detection sound and we started making characters with the Peregrine within a few seconds. It was great :)

Brent

[crashoverride @ Jun 4th 2009 9:49PM]

Anyone else thinking about Johnny Neumonic on this one?!? "Give me a pair of those gloves and Thompson Eye Phones"...LOL!

[Matt @ Jun 4th 2009 9:49PM]

And I suppose attack is double middle?

[John @ Jun 4th 2009 10:03PM]

I would rather just do this for cool UI stuff instead of gaming.

[robocrump @ Jun 4th 2009 10:04PM]

Only picking this up if I can log out with a "2 legit 2 quit" gesture.

[Kieran @ Jun 4th 2009 10:06PM]

I don't really see the point in this, I have over 100 keys on my keyboard at the disposal of my left hand while my right is on the mouse. These keys are easier to navigate and require less learning than this glove, have multiple uses so aren't a niche product and a keyboard is a lot cheaper. The only time I can see this being useful is if you need more keys than what a keyboard can provide, and however unlikely that is you could still buy another keyboard with change instead of this glove.

[Brent Baier @ Jun 5th 2009 3:25AM]

Kieran,

Hey, saw your comments, my team and I invented the Peregrine and have put a ton of thought and care into it to make it a useful product. I don't say it's for every game out there. Here's my take on you comments :)

"I have over 100 keys on my keyboard at the disposal of my left hand while my right is on the mouse. These keys are easier to navigate and require less learning than this glove"

Please try keeping your eyes on your computer screen and hit your "p" (powerfulspellofawesomeness) then "i" (inventory) then "m" (map) key without looking down. Only use your right hand and keep your left hand on the mouse, like you would when you are gaming. Don't take your focus off the screen.

Okay, now try touching the tip of your pointer, then middle, then ring finger. You tell me what's easier. Have you been using a keyboard since you were 6 months old or your hands?

Plus, our contract with the US military should tell you something about the interaction speed of this device...

"keyboard is a lot cheaper."

steelseries 7G 64022SS Black USB or PS/2 Wired Standard Professional Gaming Keyboard - 139.99 (Newegg)

RAZER Mamba Black 7 Buttons USB Laser Gaming Mouse - 129.99 (Newegg, all others as well)

Logitech diNovo Edge 2-Tone USB Bluetooth Wireless Mini Keyboard - 166.99

SONY VAIO VGPWKB5 Silver USB 2.4GHz Wireless Slim Keyboard - 149.99

Interlink Electronics VP6210 USB RF Wireless Ergonomics Keyboard - 169.99

Quality, ergonomic products aren't cheap. We have put a lot of quality manufacturing into this product.

99.95 pre-order, 129.95 retail price, and you can buy replaceable gloves. We have designed the pod on the back to be virtually indestructible and the gloves have military grade sensors that we developed. (Side note: Laughed until I had tears in my eyes on the "special ops soldier in a dark corridor" part of the article.)

"The only time I can see this being useful is if you need more keys than what a keyboard can provide, and however unlikely that is you could still buy another keyboard with change instead of this glove."

I disagree. This is useful for anyone who just wants a more enjoyable gaming experience (not to mention the Photoshop crowd). You really have to try it to understand what I mean, and the people who saw it in action at E3 understood. We had overwhelmingly positive responses. Being able to sit there very comfortably and control your game with the tap of a finger is a pretty cool feeling.

Thanks man, I hope you take a second look at the Peregrine. :) It's extremely fun for DotA!

[SewerShark @ Jun 5th 2009 8:06AM]

WOW, that was unexpected.

[feralchimp @ Jun 5th 2009 12:15PM]

@Brent:

If you can build a version of this that retains decent fingertip sensitivity through the glove, I expect "Controllerism" and Traktor DVS DJ's will become a key niche market for this product.

[Kieran @ Jun 5th 2009 3:08PM]

Cheers for taking the time to respond to me.

Maybe it's just me, but I can touch type with one or two hands and if I keep my hands on the wasd keys like in most games I can reach to any other key accurately.

When I said it's cheaper to buy another keyboard I obviously didn't mean to buy an expensive 'gaming' keyboard, as it would be a secondary keyboard. This was also on the off chance that you actually run out of keys on your keyboard. Also, my Logitech Wave keyboard is extremely comfortable to type on and game and cost me £40 with a wireless mouse, don't know what the equivalent is in dollars but it's a lot less than the cheapest keyboard you mentioned.

[Brent Baier @ Jun 8th 2009 1:51AM]

Kieran,

I understand. I agree with you that for WASD games not everyone is going to want to use the Peregrine; we did find that based on play style there were some WoW players that found benefit from it. Being able to sit back and play your game comfortably is a pretty cool feeling. As I mentioned though, we suggest the Peregrine be used primarily for RTS and MMO games. It is extremely fun with games like Starcraft and Warcraft mods such as DotA (approx. 8 - 9 million users). All depends on control scheme. Even if one in ten WoW players use it thats still a lot of gamers. And imagine Diablo 3 with this! It would be great!

As far as keyboard prices, I was just pointing out that there are keyboards out there that exceed our price point, so given that we have created a durable product with interchangeable gloves we didn't think that 129.95 was so bad. I would like to try to drop that price point too as sales volume increases.

In the end though, I really think this is something a person has to try to really appreciate. I have seen skeptic after skeptic converted the moment they put the glove on their hand and start playing a game with it.

Thanks man, I hope this helps. Cheers!

Feralchimp:

Good catch! We already have some big name artists checking this out. It's amazing how much has happened in just a week!

[blewis1041 @ Jun 4th 2009 10:09PM]

This is a test. Sorry.

[bobbyrognlien @ Jun 4th 2009 10:10PM]

NLE a la Minority Report!?!?! It might take some configuring, but would be a total win!

[idiot @ Jun 4th 2009 10:14PM]

it's so rad...

[idiot @ Jun 4th 2009 10:17PM]

apparently i have a weird b-replaced-with-r speech impediment

[idiot @ Jun 4th 2009 10:17PM]

oh, it's cleared up

[mocax @ Jun 4th 2009 10:20PM]

the word "Naruto" just flashed in me mind.....

[Lukasz @ Jun 5th 2009 4:53AM]

heh. Same. especially when you will be doing a spell combo...
reminds me of one character from the beginning of the series.


I am such a nerd.

[DeoWulf @ Jun 4th 2009 10:26PM]

Your hands will sweat like crazy.

[Brent Baier @ Jun 5th 2009 3:30AM]

Ventilated and hand washable. We have played for 8 hours straight, no sweating problems yet.

[theriste1 @ Jun 4th 2009 10:47PM]

Can you wear two at the samee time?

[Templarian @ Jun 4th 2009 11:19PM]

Lose your mouse and just start using a coaster.

[Brent Baier @ Jun 5th 2009 3:26AM]

Right now, left hand only. Typically the keyboard shortcut hand. More versions of the Peregrine in the pipeline though!

[LondonConsultant @ Jun 5th 2009 5:15AM]

Can I wear them on my feet? I have highly dextrous toes.

[StereoTypo @ Jun 4th 2009 11:25PM]

This is a direct ripoff of the ThimbleTron created by the Evolution-Control-Committee waaaaay back in the year 2000!
http://evolution-control.com/thimbletron.html

That being said this product is a little more developed but the basic idea is unchanged.
I still feel this could be applied to more than just gaming...

[Brent Baier @ Jun 5th 2009 3:28AM]

Ummm...yes...the Thimbletron looks very elegant and functional. It's where I got my inspiration.

[darkstar107 @ Jun 5th 2009 12:00AM]

I have been voluntarily testing this since the first prototype. Some of you are asking why its better than the keyboard. First of all, you can play with it on your lap or on your arm rest for countless hours without getting any kind of cramp in your hand. This is the ultimate device in ergonomics. I play World of Warcraft and always use WASD to move around. I only use the glove to cast spells. This saves me from having to look down at the number buttons in the middle of a heated battle. You could even program WASD onto the glove. Best of all, it is programmable to the way you want it. $130 may seem like a lot of money, but it really is worth it.

[Brent Baier @ Jun 5th 2009 3:29AM]

Shawn? :)

[darkstar107 @ Jun 5th 2009 10:18AM]

Yup, Hi buddy :).

[darkstar107 @ Jun 5th 2009 12:02AM]

Also, the glove is very breathable. My hand sweats more when resting it on the keyboard than in the glove.