(via eyeSight)
It is surprising that with all the devices and electronics that have built-in camera systems that nobody thought sooner to develop a way to incorporate some kind of gestural control to go along with them. Well that was the case until now as eyeSight Technologies has recently developed specialized software that allows users to interact with apps using only the devices included camera. Essentially the software turns the camera into a full 3D-tracking sensor that allows users to navigate and interact with the device the software is installed on including TVs, PCs and mobile devices. Details as to how the software was developed are sketchy at best; however, it appears as though eyeSight designed their new software around their ‘finger-tracking’ solution that allows users to navigate devices using only a fingertip at an astounding range of 2 to 16 feet away from the camera. Unlike their finger-tracking technology, the updated software does not require that manufacturers embed the eyeSight technology into their hardware in order for the software to work. In a video released on YouTube, a user is navigating Google Maps using swiping hand gestures with a camera-equipped laptop to turn the globe in any direction. Once the users selected location was found the user simply made a fist to zoom into that location by moving her fist closer to the devices camera (pulling the fist away zooms the camera out). Additionally clicking on objects such as files and folders can be done just by touching two fingers together allowing for a more natural approach for navigation negating the need for peripherals such as a mouse. eyeSight’s gestural technology has become popular enough for companies such as AMD and Lenovo to incorporate it into their current generation products such as AMD’s APU-series of processors and the Lenovo series of Ultrabooks. The company states that their eyeSight software can also be used with stereoscopic camera systems as well as IR illuminators so does that mean it can be combined with Microsoft’s first generation Kinect for increased functionality in gaming or other projects? eyeSight’s hand/finger tracking technology is available now in SDK form for developers with now word yet on a full product release.
C
See more news at: