Since we got touchscreens, many users have stopped recognizing buttons. But the truth is, it's very convenient. There are buttons only when you need them. The rest of the time, the usable area of the device remains free. For example, it is most convenient for typing on the keyboard. And touch screens give us a large number of gestures that we use to control content and just the interface. All this beauty came into our life reliably and for a long time. But we still have devices whose screen is not touch. Now this can be corrected, and at the same time give more opportunities to the traditional “touch”.
You can control gestures on any screen.
Phone gesture control
A group of former Samsung engineers are joining forces to create a new device called Glamos. The related post is on Indiegogo It uses LIDAR technology to turn almost any screen into a fully interactive and touchscreen.
Instead of reading touches, Glamos detects movement and sends a signal to the device telling it what to do. This allows you to control your laptop, smart TV, smartphone or tablet without touching them. You just need to be at a short distance and not go behind the device.
If the device already has a touch screen, then the new device will allow you to interact with it from a distance. This can be useful in situations where your hands are dirty or you cannot get close to the gadget.
The creators give an example of using a tablet and controlling it while cooking in the kitchen. Instead of washing their hands to flip through recipe pages, the user can swipe them with gestures to keep the tablet clean. Something similar is built into some smartphones, but if you believe the creators, their device will be much better.
How far does gesture control work?
Glamos has a longer range than other devices. According to the declared characteristics, it can work at a distance of up to one meter.
You don't need to install Glamos on your TV to use it. You can place it near the sofa.
To control the TV, you just need to touch that part of the space that is opposite the desired place on the screen. Or just wave your arms in front of Glamos, standing by the couch. Gestures can be used to flip through slides during a presentation. So you can abandon the clicker and completely switch to touch control. Although, it would be more correct to say, gestural.
What are the advantages of the Glamos system
Such controls are not only more convenient, but also look very cool. Just imagine, wave your hand, mentally saying “let's the next song”, and another music will sound. It used to be only in films like Star Trek or Minority Report.
There are several things that make Glamos stand out from other devices. First, the range of devices used is very wide. Secondly, control from a distance of a meter is very good and you can use any screens – from a smartphone to the largest TV. Thirdly, the angle of “view” of the device is 180 degrees, which is much larger than that of the built-in sensors.
Glamos will work with all smart TVs, Android, iOS, Mac and any PC running Windows 7 or later. These are the only limitations. Otherwise, the user can be creative and adapt the scenarios for using the gadget to suit their needs.
So you can even control the projector and play games.
How LIDAR works
LIDAR technology is often found in self-driving cars and robotic vacuum cleaners, so it is reliable and proven. It sends out signals in different directions and fixes the time for which they return. Then it is simply multiplied by one another and the exact distance is obtained. All this is done on the fly.
The biggest difference between lidars in large devices and those used in Glamos is size. A team of engineers found a way to significantly reduce the size of the device. This will allow the user to carry it with them in their pocket. The size is less than 3.5 by 4 centimeters.
The design is more complicated than it sounds. But she is still very small.
Glamos will be released in August and will be released in two different versions. The first will be Basic, which connects to user devices via a cable. This version will sell for $ 129. The Pro version will work with either cable or Bluetooth for two hours of autonomy and will be priced at $ 149.
It's important to note that this is still a crowdfunding project, so those who put their money in are by no means guaranteed to actually receive their devices in August. The company does have a working prototype, but there are always obstacles that can arise during production, which can lead to a delay or complete cancellation of the project. Moreover, such cases have already happened.
I would not invest in this gadget yet, but in itself it is interesting to me. I know for sure that I want to understand it. I just don't really believe that such a device will be made on time. With such a small size, the company is likely to run into some kind of production launch problem and it will have to be delayed. There, the main thing will be that they have enough money to solve problems. Otherwise, another beautiful bubble will burst.