I feel like for each new device that comes with your average TV set, you need to add a new remote. When you need to turn on your cable box, or the computer that handles it, you will surely need a remote; and so does your Roku or X-Box. Now, you could bring these all together with one big fat remote, to be sure, but this Gesture Remote strives to bring something else to the table entirely. In fact, it has no buttons at all, and is designed to use “spatial thumb gestures” to access menus and choose content. Be amazed.
This particular piece is a prototype from IDENT Technology, LUNAR Europe, and Zinosign. For what this little remote lacks in buttons, it makes up for with fancy terminology. It utilizes “Z-sense” technology, which as you might expect, tracks three-dimensional, mid-air hand and finger body movements. These are then translated (so the theory goes) into software commands. The position is registered along with direction and velocity.
Like many other remotes we’ve seen here on Walyou, the Gesture remote is designed to fill in a gap which the firm believes is currently lacking (such as this clicker universal remote or this Infinity Remote Control). We’re all pretty much used to accessing our TV content through various menus, so gesture control seems to be a logical step. The idea here is to dumb things down, and let the user go where he or she wants to with movement alone. If you’re looking for some examples, using your thumb over the top surface lets the remote work as a virtual mouse. You can also drag and drop, click and select, scroll around, rotate, zoom, turn up the volume, or dance on your head. Circular motion brings up the program guide, with taps confirming any action you’d like to take. If that sounds like a direction you’d like to go, unfortunately the remote isn’t available for purchase just yet, but should be by the end of the year.
Via: Gizmag
