TechFlash snuck a Microsoft patent doozy into their New Year’s Eve coverage.
I say “snuck,” because the post drew zero comments. That’s a shame, because Todd Bishop has uncovered the potential next wave for gizmo control: No-touch.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1agrUM4KYs[/youtube]
With this new rig, electromyography (EMG) sensors attach to a spot on your arm and translate your finger taps and motions as “button presses” for a gadget. The above video, courtesy of TechFlash, shows how this would work for video games, MP3 players, and car keychains, even when your hands are full. Tap or squeeze, and that’s it. (TechFlash doesn’t mention an off switch, so if you’re a twiddler, don’t hook this up to your garage door.)
As a counter to Apple, MS may be betting the farm on no-touch, especially with a similar product nearing retail. The Xbox 360′s Project Natal upgrade, purportedly reaching stores by the end of 2010, is a Wii-inspired twist on game control. Natal will employ a combination of webcam and infrared sensors to read your motions, sans buttons, to control games. Swat toward your TV, for example, and your character will swat in kind. This proof-of-concept Natal video, in particular, makes me wide-eyed.
This stuff can’t possibly be consumer-grade yet, lest MS expects people to attach EMG sensors to themselves as if they were hospital patients. Still, outlets are reporting the EMG patent news with excitement, as they probably should. With Natal in mind, it appears the Minority Report world of gadget control might come to fruition within the next few years.
