gestureinput
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Exclusive: PMD's CamBoard Pico XS is the tiniest gesture camera we've ever seen (video)
Just as we were wrapping up CES today, we caught up with our friends over at PMD Technologies who surprised us with a little exclusive. What you see above is the new CamBoard Pico XS gesture camera that's dwarfed by the Pico S -- the one we saw at Computex -- next to it. This tiny module is only 4mm thick, 39.5mm long and 15.5mm wide, making it 1.5mm thinner and almost half as long as its predecessor, while still packing the same Infineon IRS1010C 3D image sensor chip. Given the size plus the fact that it already uses MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) instead of USB, the Pico XS is truly integration-ready for OEMs. The main changes that enabled this size reduction are the smaller lens -- which is compensated by a sharper laser illumination (but still 850nm infrared) -- plus the removal of the aluminum heat sink (which is actually the chassis), courtesy of a much lower power consumption. Instead of a typical 1W you get on the Pico S, the Pico XS requires less than 50mW typically (at 25fps) and 350mW max (up to 45fps). Temperature-wise it goes up by just 10 degrees Celsius at most, apparently. Despite the slightly reduced viewing angles, we've been told that this smaller depth camera offers the same performance as before. That certainly seems to be the case after this author tried it using PMD's Nimble UX middleware (co-developed by 3Gear Systems), which is able to do two-hand skeletal tracking down to finger level, as shown in our video after the break.
Thalmic Labs' Myo armband does gesture control with muscles (video)
2013 saw the rise of gesture cameras for TVs and various smart devices, but Canadian startup Thalmic Labs thinks its Myo armband is the way forward. During our meeting at CES earlier, co-founder and CEO Stephen Lake explained that his Bluetooth 4.0 device features a new type of biosensor, which can pick up minute electrical impulses in our arm muscles. This allows any wrist movement, finger twitch or fist clenching to be interpreted as a gesture, so long as the inner side of the Myo has skin contact. There's also an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer, so arm and body movements are accounted for as well. The idea of Myo traces back to the co-founders' university days, where they explored various wearable technologies while working on a navigation aid for the blind. Lake said since brain control isn't quite there yet, his team found muscle sensing to be the next best thing. From what we saw and tried today, Thalmic Labs seems to be on the right track: We watched co-founder Aaron Grant play Call Of Duty: Ghosts using just a pair of Myos, and he was able to make his avatar run, crouch, jump, fire weapon and reload. Lake also gave a demo on music playback control and slideshow presentation on an iPad, both of which worked just fine. But it doesn't stop there; the CEO also sees opportunity in industrial robotics, space application and even gesture-based authentication. The retail version of the Myo will arrive within the first half of 2014, and not only will it be half as thick as the Myo Alphas shown today, but it'll also feature at least two core applications that will make full use of the armband. Lake said he'll be showing the final design in the next couple of months, but if you're game, you can now head over to Thalmic Labs' website to pre-order a black or white one for $149. Need more convincing? Then check out our in-depth demo video after the break. Update: We also got to see how you can fly a Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 with a Myo! Check it out.
Sony Ericsson brings Gesture input to Xperia line, gives new meaning to 'Swiper, no swiping!'
Xperia-toting Scandinavians got to claim first dibs on Gingerbread 2.3.4 this past September. But now Sony Ericsson is looking to share that Android update love with owners worldwide. And when that firmware finally hits your handset, don't be surprised to find a pre-installed, Swype-like doppleganger on board. Dubbed "Gesture input," this SE-made mobile keyboard option shamelessly apes its competitor's sweep-to-type implementation for texting, tweeting and general emailing. Anyone who's spent quality time with the finger-dragging solution will know exactly what to expect. A roll call of devices set to get this feature upgrade is listed on the company's blog. So, if you're curious about your place in this upgrade line, check out the source for a little illumination.
Nokia's Plug and Touch turns your HDTV into a giant N8 (video)
What do you get when you combine the N8's HDMI output, its 12 megapixel camera, and your trusty old TV set? As Anssi Vanjoki might say, you get a big new smartphone. Nokia's research labs have thrown up a neat little "prototype" app called Plug and Touch, which enhances the N8's already famed HDTV friendliness with the ability to recognize touch input. This is done by positioning your aluminum-clad Nokia about five feet away from the display and letting its camera pick up your hand's gestures and touches, essentially resulting in a massively enlarged Symbian^3 handset device. Naturally, it's not terribly precise at this stage and there are no plans for an actual release, but it sure is a tantalizing glimpse of what may be coming down the pipe. Video after the break.
Microsoft Research toys with the cosmos... using forefinger and thumb (video)
We've always been suckers for Minority Report tech, and Microsoft Research's latest attempt is not to be missed. Thought pinch-to-zoom was quaint? Try pinching the sky in this geodesic dome. Though the cardboard-and-paper-clip structure isn't all that (unless you're the arts and crafts type), the inside houses a projectiondesign DLP unit with a custom infrared camera system that can turn simple hand gestures into virtual interstellar travel, 360-degree video teleconferencing and more. You'll find a pair of videos demonstrating the concept after the break, but try not to get too attached -- if you're anything like us, your poor heart can't handle another Courier axing.
N-trig demos advanced N-act multitouch gestures, coming to laptops and tablets later this year
N-trig has made a few multitouch advances in the past, and it's now trying to push things a bit further once again with its new so-called N-act hands-on gesture vocabulary, which promises to open up a new range of four-fingered, two-handed multitouch gestures. That includes new tricks like a three-finger side sweep gesture to scroll between windows, a three-fingered tap to display all open windows (just hold to cycle through them), and the ability to select something by making a rectangle with four fingers, to name but a few options. What's more, N-trig says that at least some OEMs have already committed to shipping laptops and tablets using the technology later this year (Windows 7 only), although it's unsurprisingly staying mum on any specific companies or products. Head on past the break for a quick demo video.
German student shows off camera-based input on an iPhone
Using a camera as an input device is hardly a new idea -- even on a mobile device -- but most examples so far have been to enable functionality not possible on a touchscreen. As Master's student Daniel Bierwirth has shown in the video after the break, however, a phone on a camera can also be used as an alternative input method for features like scrolling or zooming, potentially allowing for easier interaction on devices with smaller screens. Bierwirth also takes the idea one step further, and sees the system eventually including a second camera that's worn by a person, which would be able to detect when your hands are near the phone and allow for a range of other gestures. Check out his full report at the link below.
Apple patent application two-fer: new gesture inputs, solar-powered iPods?
We know it's been tough with the dearth of Apple-related speculation as of late, but it looks like we now finally have a few more clues about what the company might be up to courtesy of a pair of recently published patent applications. The first of those is a new type of gesture-based input device, which would not only be able to detect swipes and other simple gestures, but things like brushing or scooping motions that take into account force and velocity (check out an example after the break). The other patent treads a bit of familiar territory for Apple, and describes a built-in solar power system for electronic devices -- such as an iPod, as illustrated above. That could apparently include solar cells covering the entire device, which could be configured to function even if they're partly obstructed by your hand. The system would also supposedly be able to detect if the battery is completely drained and rely solely on the solar cells to power up the device or, alternatively, switch the solar cells to a "second operational state" if it detects that the battery is charged -- if it ever actually exists, that is.
