Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video)
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/d_trRiA.jwwpO.SXMsvHGw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY2MQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/JRb7aOXhkVTiy.gtaxs2IA--~B/aD00MTM7dz02MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/08/quantum-phantom.jpg)
A guy named Ben Wu sent us this video recently and it sort of blew our minds. Wu, an engineer and self-described dreamer, has spent the past year developing a program he calls Quantum Phantom -- an Iron Man-inspired system that allows users to control a computer's cursor using only an ordinary webcam. With his Windows software onboard, Wu can draw, write and move onscreen icons or widgets, simply by waving his camera in front of a set of dual monitors. The prototype is even sophisticated enough to recognize his own webcam-produced handwriting and automatically convert it to rich text. In most cases, the sensor relies upon an ordinary cursor to navigate a screen, but Wu has also developed a pointer-free solution, as demonstrated toward the end of the above, three-part video. Be sure to check it out for yourself and get lost in the magic.
[Thanks, Ben]