Ever since we saw and first wrote about Pranev
Mistry’s now famous TED presentation on his Sixth Sense device we have been
waiting for it to come to market. The technology interface we have today is staid
and cumbersome and smartphone ‘pinch and zoom’ technology and Samsung’s Note
pen are now starting slowly to break new ground.
Microsoft have now produced a Digits prototype with
the aim of creating a mobile device that enables its owner to control a range
of equipment through hand gestures. Digits is designed to be the next
generation of the sensor gloves but leaves a big question as to whether its
design is still to cumbersome and unattractive to capture the imagination of
the consumers.
However, some experts question whether consumers would want to wear such
a device during their day-to-day activities.
Digits’s camera-based sensor detects infrared light and together
with software constructs a "fully articulated hand skeleton", which by
measuring the distance between fingers a thumbs, can be determine, interpret
and understand what the user's hand is
doing.
They aim to reduce the component parts such that the device could be the
size of a watch, worn constantly and enable users to be able to interact
spontaneously with their devices using simple gestures and not even touch them.
Some of the gestures sound exciting; twisting an imaginary dial to turn up the volume,
playing video games without a console by creating recognised gestures, tapping
fingers on an imaginary smartphone pad to dial a number, closing and opening
documents by clenching and opening your palms.
So will Digits succeed to start to establish Pranev Mistry’s Sixth Sense
world of become another games extension? If it can become device agnostic it
may stand a chance but again will Microsoft tie it too closely to selling their
devices and their operating systems?
We must remember Digits is only a prototype so has a long way to go but
that Pranev Mistry showed us clear direction and better application over two years
ago.
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