Peregrine wires you into a keyboard, we go hands-in
By Tim Stevens 
posted Jun 4th 2009 9:33PM
posted Jun 4th 2009 9:33PM
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.
May I touch myself with this glove?
"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!
iPhone_vs_Pre:
*WOOOOOOOOOSH*
Oh, did I just hear a reference fly over someone's head?
iPhone_vs_Pre - ever heard of S-A-R-C-A-S-M?
he's always talking some such nonsense... he just likes the look of his own text. don't feel the tardtrolls.
or *feed. (although, I'm pretty sure that no one wants to "feel" him either, so both are correct) >.
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.
@Richard. If you are looking for a glove that isn't "a bit touchy", then this one is probably not for you. :]
Well played!
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. :)
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.
@Brent
Thank you! That would be awesome! My email address is Razielusm@gmail.com
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
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.
seems slower to touch fingers then press down on a key, plus I strafe a lot
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
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)
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..."
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.
yeah i just caught the vision, i use photoshop and illustrator all day. that glove would be cool
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
Anyone else thinking about Johnny Neumonic on this one?!? "Give me a pair of those gloves and Thompson Eye Phones"...LOL!
And I suppose attack is double middle?
I would rather just do this for cool UI stuff instead of gaming.
Only picking this up if I can log out with a "2 legit 2 quit" gesture.
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.
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!
WOW, that was unexpected.
@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.
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.
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!
This is a test. Sorry.
NLE a la Minority Report!?!?! It might take some configuring, but would be a total win!
it's so rad...
apparently i have a weird b-replaced-with-r speech impediment
oh, it's cleared up
the word "Naruto" just flashed in me mind.....
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.
Your hands will sweat like crazy.
Ventilated and hand washable. We have played for 8 hours straight, no sweating problems yet.
Can you wear two at the samee time?
Lose your mouse and just start using a coaster.
Right now, left hand only. Typically the keyboard shortcut hand. More versions of the Peregrine in the pipeline though!
Can I wear them on my feet? I have highly dextrous toes.
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...
Ummm...yes...the Thimbletron looks very elegant and functional. It's where I got my inspiration.
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.
Shawn? :)
Yup, Hi buddy :).
Also, the glove is very breathable. My hand sweats more when resting it on the keyboard than in the glove.
So, what if it was combined with Natal? Full body tracking, plus the accuracy of 40 buttons......
To elaborate: What about Oblivion or a game like it with two of these + Natal? Arm movements mapped near 1:1 with reality, you could be 'holding' a shield and sword and still be able to press buttons to do things like switch weapons, activate a spell, whatever you want...
Stop making me drool.
That's almost exactly what I was thinking, use 3D motion tracking to have the use of a gesture based system, then also having the ability of more accurate controls mapped to the glove at the same time would be just lovely.
Hey guys if you have any questions about the Peregrine I will try to answer them here as Engadget is my favorite blog and I was very stoked to see our product on the front page! :)
Started on the project 5 years ago in my run-down two bedroom apartment right out of college. First prototype was a Nike golf glove with solder contacts that I pounded flat on a rock. Now we are attracting the attention of organizations like Dell, DARPA, Mazda, Best Buy, and some pretty big name gaming companies so it's pretty exciting! It's been an amazing experience and the response has been overwhelming. I would love to answer questions if you have any.
It looks *awesome* and I'd love to give it a try somewhen, but is it easy to just pick up and use?
Ahh yes, the good 'ol Nike glove. It's come a long way since then :).
Brent, I am excited at the direction this is going, but I want something with more complex options - in other words, I want a fully functional keyboard built into my gloves.
I'm not poo-pooing your advances or fantasizing - I'm saying that if you create an accessory I can use to communicate in english like my keyboard, and perhaps move like with my mouse (think Johnny Mnemonic), I will buy the crap out of that. I will buy one for all my friends. I will buy one for strangers on the street. I will want to use it at home and with my cellphone abroad. It will be a step toward truly ubiquitous computing.
Until that time, I'm not giving up the keyboard for a glove that requires me to put my pinky to my thumb. IMHO, that's too alien to my experience and doesn't allow for more than a dozen buttons, AND, most importantly - won't allow me to chat.
Hi Brent, 2 questions:
1) Not having the genuine article in front of me, this may be an incorrect observation, but it looks like the fingertip contacts are connected to the "hub" on the back of the hand by springy wires. (paging Dr. Blurrycam!) Is that right? Has there been any evaluation of the durability of them? I could see them becoming stretched out or weakening over time by normal finger movement. Is that realistic?
2) When playing WoW, my left hand is in WASD position. I can move with the left hand and hit hotkeys with my right. If using the glove, won't I have to remove my WASD fingerings to tap the glove-enabled hotkeys?
Neat idea. Many thanks.
Answer to questions above:
- It is quite easy to use but depends on the application. Actually making stuff happen with it is easy, you just touch your hand. Usually in a moderately complex game you are looking at approx. 30 mins - 1 hour of play time to get comfortable with it, but you will be able to use it for basic commands within 5 - 10 minutes and will just get better from there.
- atdt: fully functional keyboard would be waaaay to many commands for the average user. I have enough hurdles just introducing the world to a glove input device with the PowerGlove stigma hanging over us. So far the response has been tremendously positive though. But as people get used to the concept we plan on rolling out...ahem...more advanced versions of the Peregrine.
- ninagin: Micro-wound stainless steel springs make the contact points and they are VERY durable. I actually talk about them in this video with PC World http://www.pcworld.com/article/166211/hands_take_flight_with_the_peregrine_sensory_input_gaming_glove.html
- Depending on the place you are trying to touch you may have to either partially raise or remove your fingers from the WASD keys. You can touch many places without having to lift your fingertips. Again, for WoW players it really depends on their play style as to if they would use this or not. Most the WoW players who saw the product at our booth and got to try it on and watch it in action seemed quite interested.
This looks pretty cool
but...
I am a gamer who's hands are constantly sweating... even as I write this little posting...
I have to scrape the dried up sweat and junk off my keyboard... These gloves could be a sweaty mess or they could really save me from having to clean my keyboard so much if these gloves are hand washable.
I will have to wait for reviews to come out and see if it really is less sweaty than a keyboard.
My personal experience is that I sweat on my keyboard lots too because I am resting my skin against a non-porous, non-ventilated material. With the Peregrine your hand has a layer of breathable fabric on it. So far it has been pretty good but there are some pretty hardcore sweaty gamers out there...
Your product intrigues and fascinates me, not the least of which is from a preadolescence love of the Power Glove.
On the technical side, it looks like it will have an interesting advantage on many other peripherals. I've played mmo games and first person shooters for the last 10 years, and I recently upgraded my Belkin Nostromo N52 to the Logitech g13, both of which are left hand gaming solutions. I'd be VERY interested in seeing how the Peregrine performs for these games. I can see an immediate advantage of being able to type and do something else at the same time, or at the very least see reduced down time. If it has macro capabilities, the possibilites could be endless. with that and an air mouse, I could raid from a recliner, or possibly even my couch, hooked up to the TV.
Also, this combined with haptic feedback = The ultimate VR experience. EVAR.
Xaivius,
LOL Great! People tell me that I am helping gamers to become even lazier but I disagree, I am helping save their backs, shoulders, and wrists from a lifetime of pain!
The beauty of the Peregrine comes from it's elegance and lightweight --- you can hardly tell you have it on and it doesn't clutter your desktop. And yes, you can still use your keyboard if needed. I cannot express to people enough how good it feels to NOT be tethered to your keyboard! One of my favorite things to do is play DotA while I am relaxing in bed, laptop sitting on chest. Tried it with a keyboard and it is PAINFUL.
Raiding from your lazyboy...I like it. :D
I see myself buying this. Using a Wacom and this in Photoshop, maybe it could even replace my 3D mouse in 3D Studio Max. I would be able to maintain my flow of creation on a whole new level compared to other peripherals ad save heaps of time.
Plus you say it's sturdy and comfortable. I assume that it ships with a control mapping software, but is that software developed to work in 64bit systems, more so Windows 7...I've had one too many things refusing to understand a 64bit OS, so I hope that is not the case here.
All in all it looks like a really handy product, definitely usable for more than games. Good job here.
SkyWay,
It uses standard HID keyboard drivers so it should work on Windows 7. As for the remapping software, we are continuing to refine it and I will make sure we test it for Windows 7.
I often use a twiddler (a chorded keyboard) might this be able to be extended that way, as well? Or is the 40 combinations already chorded?
-dkap
No chording, all just single touches. Chording gets too complex for the average user. It will make more sense when we release the videos, but a single touch of thumb to finger will produce an action.
Brent,
How well does this thing work with general computer navigating? Is there a wireless version coming? I ask because I often plug my lappy into my plasma in my living room. Navigating with a full keyboard and mouse sucked so I got the little Logitech keyboard (big difference). Also, have you tried this with SL? (it's the only "game" I play).
solodragon,
Haven't tried with SL, wireless version eventually coming (for now, in your case, USB extension cord, don't hold your breath for the wireless lol), and simple computer navigation could be achieved depending on how you wanted to set it up. Using this as a remote control or something would be cool. :) Part of the fun of all this is seeing what people will use this for.
I could see this being useful for situations where you don't have quick or easy access to the keyboard. For example, if you do a lot of driving and have a laptop set up in your vehicle, it would be nice to access quick functions without taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road. Or if you are at work and you need to discreetly send a key sequence to your computer(in example, your boss walks in while you are browsing engadget), you could send a sequence to close out of a program or lock your computer screen. It would be nice if this glove used bluetooth and could be used to auto lock/unlock your PC when you walked away.
Hello Brent,
I have some questions;
I was wondering if you had these gloves in different sizes?
Do you have a website in which this item could be perused?
Do you have any videos demonstrating usage of this product?
I am quite interested in your product and wish you all the best!
www.theperegrine.com
Videos are on the way! We are working on some high quality versions and will do a quick announcement when they are available. Try subscribing to our Twitter account (theperegrine) for the quickest updates on when we release the videos.
Sizes will start with Small, Medium and Large and we will take it from there. :)
Could definitely see this on a next gen Wii like system.
Whoever had the idea for this to be used with NLE's...... I completely agree....
I would love to see this evolve with some sort of motion detection so you could manipulate objects in a 3d space. Would be really useful when designing things in Maya or 3DSMax. I could see myself using this for those sorts of things as well as gaming.
I dont know why no one has come out with something like this before. Its really nothing new and a whole lot more could easily be done with it. 4 Years ago one of the teams in my senior design class created this exact thing, and also included accelerometers. They could use the one glove to play quake, based on your hand motion it would turn or walk/run in any direction using the accelerometers and then using the touch sensors in the fingers you could fire and change weapons. Was really cool to see in action, but if they could create that in one semester and for less than 100 dollars, whats taken a regular company so long.
Creating it takes a matter of days/weeks. Perfecting, marketing, and getting funding for it is what takes a long time.
Evan,
I had my first prototypes up and running quickly too. But raising funding, building a team, getting patents, and figuring out engineering / mass manufacturing methods takes a VERY long time and is more work than I ever imagined. I cobbled my first gloves together out of Nike golf gloves and old keyboards. They were grotesque and bulky. We literally have millions of dollars behind the engineering on the Peregrine (and trust me, it rocks, still making a few tweaks before we do pre-orders...) and figuring out how to reliably manufacture hundreds of thousands of these was NOT easy. I started this in my basement apartment with no money and not a single contact in the tech world. I was born in Saskatchewan, Canada for crying out loud! LOL So it took time to bring everything together.
And one final thing, the patent system takes an incredibly long time. I filed my patent years ago and it just issued a few months ago. *wipes sweat off brow*
Eagerly looking fwd to pre-ordering this, request though bring out the right hand SOON! need to get left and right hand working.
William,
We will eventually be releasing a right handed version, wish we could sooner but we have to take this one step at a time. :)
I'd love to give this a try. I've trying to find a standard keyboard alternative for my MMO's for a long while now.
Josh,
Great! It depends on your play style, but I think most MMO players will find benefit from the Peregrine. Thanks for the interest!
I'd be really interested to give this a try as well, Brent. I was intrigued when the P5 glove (http://www.vrealities.com/P5.html) came out back in the day, but subsequent reviews and shoddy support kept me from trying it out. Though the Peregrine isn't quite the same, it seems like a more practical application of a glove style controller.
imho, simple is better. We designed this to be very functional. You touch, stuff happens. When everyone asks me why I didn't throw motion sensing in right away, well, there are several reasons, but over-complexity is the main one. Motion sensing will eventually come, but it will be elegant.
Oh, if only there was a version for left handed people...
If there were, I'd want one. As it is, I can't get one of these due to being left handed...
I often find myself at the coffee shop with my tabletPC and wanting to do some doodling in ZBrush or modeling in Maya or SolidWorks. The tablet is PERFECT for it, except that it's beyond awkward to try to use a stylus while having to use accelerator and shortcut keys.
I've spent year looking for a left-hand solution to this - frogpad, gamepads, etc.
This glove MIGHT just be what I'm looking for.
Brent, a question: how well does the glove handle multiple-key input? For instancce, some workflows in ZBrush require to hold CTRL-Alt, then click-drag, then release ALT (while still holding CTRL). My current left-hand hardware, a ContourDesigns Shuttle Pro, doesn't handle this at ALL well.
Also, Brent...any chance of a comp/promo? Out of work and no dough for gadgets (thus my time at the coffee shop, looking for jobs ;) ) ?
I'm totally with Doc Hogan on this, having a 9x12 tablet its often quite cumbersome to have a keyboard on the desk and try and keep tablet infront of monitor, usually my left hand/arm is bent of to the side for nothing more than hitting hotkeys.
so to add to Doc's questions, Brent: will there be program/game detection? Say I'm in photoshop and I have Index and thumb for bursh, middle and thumb for new layer, etc, but then i want to go over to 3DS Max, and I wanted index and thumb to be move, would I be able to program the same gestures but they be different depending on the program that I'm in?
Doc Hogan & Kezhi,
Fear not graphics artists! I have heard your cries! :)
Ya we are working on those things you mentioned. Program/game detection is simply a matter of new layouts loading when you launch a new program. As far as holding keys in like CTRL, ALT, etc. we are beginning to work with graphics artists to find the optimal way to handle these things, but I am sure you will be able to do it. And even with my limited amount of GIMP photo editing I know that you guys will love this thing.
As for free Peregrines...I will have to see. If I start giving away too many free ones I think my email inbox will become pretty crazy...we will probably be running a test pilot program with various graphics artists soon to make sure that we can get the optimal experience setup for you guys. But you will know when thats coming. My goal has always been to design this product for the end users, and the only way I can do that is by listening to your needs. That's why I love these forums :D
This does look interesting indeed. However I really am not sure if I could get used to not playing the way i do. Left hand on WASD and my hotkeys and right hand on the mouse.... Not sure if this would be worth it for me to try this and if i don't like it end up have a $130 decoration.. :(
Then wait until one of your friends gets it. I am sure they will let you try it. :) Just make sure you have a glove that is the right size for you. I myself made a $100 donation to Palm for one of their fold-out mini-keyboards, so I know what you mean. :)
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/13/clove-2-typing-glove-leaves-your-other-hand-free-for-high-fives/
Just saying is all :)
lol @ Clove 2
Ahhh yes...the Clove. Look at the Clove. Now look at the Peregrine. Any questions?
Forget gaming... anyone else envision this as something that can be used to control a PC in the dark? Or in the car.. definitely see potential! I want one!
Wait until you see what the US military is doing with it... ;)
Wow it's been crazy these last few days and I am both excited and dreading my inbox tomorrow! So many opportunities, but soooo much work!!! But it's exciting.
In response to all these questions I am going to compile an FAQ for use on our company website so I just wanted to say thanks for all your feedback Engadget. Keep the questions coming! I will try my best to answer them.
Keep checking out our website as we are continuing to update it. Should be some interesting things up there in the next couple weeks. In the meantime, you can check out this interview at PC World as it shows the Peregrine in action and answers a lot of questions.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/166211/hands_take_flight_with_the_peregrine_sensory_input_gaming_glove.html
Thanks all! Going to try to get some more sleep as E3 was exhausting!
Brent
Hey all, for all you WoW players out there wondering on the use in raids or just random mobs. I have used this with much promise in raids, didn't slow me down at all, it's more relaxing then repeatedly tapping the same buttons on the keyboard, don't know why...it just is. Since random mobs are generally easy to kill..they posed no threat as well. I used it for frozen throne and starcraft as well, and let me tell you the buildings, literally fly up it's much faster then the keyboard for building(in my case), great for controlling groups as well. On a side note i've played countless games of dota with it as well, it's just so slick u can't really put it into words, you have to see, or try one for yourself. Also i'm one of the dev's for this project so i may be a little biased. Everything written in this post is my personal opinion so take from it what you will.
Sounds all to familiar ! Remember the Pinch-Glove (which formed the basis for glove-idea in the Minority Report) or the chording glove by Rosenberg, or even the glove-based QWERTY keyboard KITTY (www.kittytech.com) or the iGlove (www.ergo-electronics.com). The patented KITTY and the patent pending iGLOVE use just the same idea of finger-to-thumb contacts for an ergonomic controller device. Even the suggestion of a glove-based cell-phone application which appears in the iGLOVE patent application is found in the Peregrine glove IP.
CNN Headline News fist reported about the KITTY glove keyboard in 2002. You can find various reports about the KITTY and iGLOVE technology by Mehring on youtube. Just serach for "Carsten Mehring".
Fruit for thought