The fifth sensor gathers the motion data and uses a Bluetooth wireless transmitter to send the information to the electronic device — let’s say an ear-bud-sized MP3 player. With a sweep here and a circle there, the user can turn on a device, select a song, turn the volume up or down, and shut down all with a few simple hand motions.
"One of things that's innovative is that they are using the space above the watch to give commands," said Joe Dvorak, distinguished member of the technical staff at Motorola in Plantation, Fla. With the watch in a fixed location and the opposite hand motioning the commands, the device should be able to distinguish a good variety of gestures.
The watch is a prototype and still in the "bulky enough to be worn by Professor Frink of 'The Simpsons'" category. But the team plans to streamline it by incorporating smaller sensors and a thinner battery. Ironically, reducing the size of the Gesture Watch could get the researchers in the same predicament they are trying to solve, said Dvorak.
"You want to make things as small as possible and as non-obtrusive as possible. But there comes a point where you make them so small that you make them harder to use. The same thing could be happening here," he said.
With a smaller watch, the sensors will have to be placed closer together and that could make it more difficult for the watch to distinguish gestures. But if Kim and his team can solve that problem, they could solve the problem of controlling tiny handheld electronics. And that’s a lot better than having to stick your finger in your ear.
