"Gesture" software uses camera instead of accelerometer
Mar. 31, 2008
GestureTek Mobile says it plans to release Windows Mobile programs that can use a phone's camera as a pointing device. The applications will include a picture viewer, web browser, text messaging software, games, and mapping software, according to the company.
The applications will be demonstrated at this week's CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas. They were built using GestureTek's already available EyeMobile Engine, an SDK (software development kit) and API (application programming interface) aimed at adding motion-based control to Windows Mobile software. Instead of using accelerometers, the EyeMobile Engine uses a device's camera, calibrating itself against any still background to judge relative movement.
The EyeMobile Engine's three types of tracking are termed "shake, rock, and roll" by the company. Shake is a one-dimensional motion sensor, useful for applications where the direction of motion is unimportant, such as a "shaking dice" simulation. Rock is a simple gesture recognizer, which allows using the flick of a wrist to answer a call, or to simulate a throw. Roll is a two-dimensional tilt sensor that permits turning the pages of a document, or performing steering and navigation. The equivalent of ordinary mouse or joystick control can be accomplished using a combination of rock and roll, the company adds.
This promotional video demonstrates the EyeMobile Engine's "shake, rock, and roll" Source: GestureTek
One application already completed by GestureTek is a gesture-enabled Image Viewer. This will be installable on any Windows Mobile device, becoming the default viewer when the user wants to browse photos on their mobile device. Once a picture is selected, users can zoom in and out on an image or pan around it merely by moving their wrist, GestureTek claims.
GestureTek says it is working with two other companies, Iota Wireless and Torch Mobile, to provide additional gesture-enabled applications. For example, Iota's TiltText claims to make text entry faster and less ambiguous by letting users tilt their phones as they type.
Torch Mobile's Iris Browser (Click image for further information)
Torch Mobile's Iris Browser (right), based on the lightweight WebKit mobile HTML rendering engine, will be adapted to provide gesture-controlled zooming and panning, according to GestureTek. Other applications under development include games and mapping software, according to the company.
William Leckonby, CEO of GestureTek, said "Without a doubt, we have reached a turning point in the move to ubiquitous gesture-based user interfaces for mobile devices." The EyeMobile camera-based technology works as well as more expensive accelerometer-based solutions, he added.
Availability
The EyeMobile SDK and API are apparently available to developers now, and support Symbian- and Qualcomm BREW-based handsets as well as Windows Mobile. GestureTek did not say how the EyeMobile-enabled applications would be made available to the public, or provide a timetable for their release, however.
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