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That is a good question. I hope they released the sourcecode somewhere. I don't have an Xbox, but I would like to have that program--I have had two strokes.

Maybe it works on Linux in general, and they wanted to make it more widespread? The glove appears to work on PCs to. No Mac drivers apparently, but according to this page, they eventually made linux ones.

Here are some interesting links for the glove: Linux patch to blacklist the P5 from HID (apparently it reports itself as HID device, but does not comply with standard.) Library to use the P5 in Linux geocities page with lots of links to P5 info Page with lots of technical details about the glove

One question I have: I tried Essential Reality's site, and there is another company listed there. Did they get bought out or go out of business? Is the glove still being made?

After looking at all this, I want one of these. This would be a kick-ass input device even for regular computing. You could probably use it as a mouse and keyboard (one handed--no pr0n jokes please ;-)...and more!

What about this?

That is great and all, but I believe the problem with all that, is that you -still- can't intereact with the 3D object you're seeing, at the place where it -appears-.

Yes you can. There are 3D input devices such as mice, joysticks, gloves, and haptic devices.

Now we can do location and positioning with a potential high degree of acuracy.

like I noticed, tho, with my recent $20 purchase of the p5 glove, the technology may be there, but where are the applications? Aren't there developers out there, unemployed?

WiFiMaps.com is taking a stab at the location based computing, any interested developers out there?

The Linux SDK is in source form (driver too).
From the README:
P5 Linux driver ver. 0.1; April 14, 2003,

Check out this glove from Essential Reality. It reminds me of the powerglove from the original nintendo, but includes source code for Linux and M$ Windows. I've been considering picking up one just to try my hand at some 3D desktop interface programming.

do a google for wearable keyboard input research, and you'll find a bucketload of things sort of like that. I'd like to see something I can buy, or at least some direction about building my own.

This looks like the closest thing:
http://www.essentialreality.com/

Right now we have reached the beginning of the transition away from button inputs to gesture inputs. There are of course many projects working on gesture inputs. The first that are really viable are the 2D ones from fingerworks.com. The next will be refined versions of the P5 Glove or the sensible phantom. I think eventually gesture based input will be the type used in Minority Report, (see the 1st and 10th images in the gallery).

Finally, I think we will move on to direct input. It's been shown that people can control very simple objects, (move a ball to the top or bottom of the screen), with electrodes connected to their head. Unfortunately so far it has not been responsive enough to see application. Input may also be of the form in Ghost in the Shell where people have wireless connections through implants in their body and also physical jacks in the back of their neck. (Another thing shown in the movie are fingers that come apart on wires to type. Rather than that I'd expect a low-power data transmission in the fingers so set the fingers in appropriately shaped cavities and have the data transmitted across the skin.)

Keyboards are nice. They have worked for a long time, but it is time to replace them. Slowly we can transition from keyboards, through the 2D gesture inputs of fingerworks to 3D inputs along the lines of minority report at which time, hopefully, direct input methods will be viable.

Was I the only one who thought this was going to be something cool and geeky since its on Slashdot? I was hoping it would be something like the P5 glove, except it would allow you to type in mid-air. I did read an article on something like that one time, but the last I heard it was just a prototype.

While on the topic of moderatly priced and near useless 3d tools, I ran into this glove called the P5 (http://www.essentialreality.com/). It operates on all 3 axis including yaw, pitch, and roll. It looks good on paper, but reviews have been light. Does anyone have any experiance with this? It'd be cool to use my hand instead of a mouse for surfing the web but especially awesome for games (Jedi Outcast and Opera ^_^).

• 5 Independent finger measurements
• 60 Hz refresh rate
• Thumb-Index Abduction
• 0.5 degree resolution (0-90 degree range)

• Patent pending optical tracking system
  • 3-4 foot range from "docking station" that allows unlimited range from monitor/game console
  • 60 Hz refresh rate
  • 6 degrees of freedom (yaw\pitch\roll\x\y\z)
  • Yaw\Pitch\Roll Specs
  • 1 degree resolution
  • 1 degree accuracy
• X\Y\Z Specs
  • 0.125 inch resolution @ 3foot range from "docking station" that allows unlimited range from monitor/game console
  • 0.5 inch accuracy @ 3 foot range from "docking station" that allows unlimited range from monitor/game console

• No power cord required
• Easy on/off removal system

• USB 1.1 compliant
• HID Specification compliant
• 2 USB Interfaces provided - Native P5 Mode, and Standard Mouse mode

P5 GLOVE

HandyKey Twiddler 2The Twiddler2 is a pocket-sized mouse pointer plus a full-function keyboard in a single unit that fits neatly in either right or left hand. The Twiddler2 plugs into both keyboard and mouse PS/2 ports on any computer that accepts standard PS/2 mouse and keyboard input. WearClam: A Wearable Input InterfaceThe WearClam is an wearable Input device, developed for those situations where you need keyboard-like input nearly all the time. It is an ergonomic ring which resembles a real Clam's shape and as such it could be considered as a wearable interface for a wearable computer. L3 Systems WristPC KeyboardL3 Systems has developed the WristPC Keyboard for portable and wearable computer applications. The WristPC is a rugged QWERTY keyboard with a standard PC keyboard interface. The housing is a black anodized aluminum. Completely sealed, it can operate in the rain and other harsh environments. Fitaly One-Finger KeyboardThis "keyboard" is optimized for entry with a single finger or with a pen, as is the case on a pen computer or a computer with a touchscreen. The Fitaly One-Finger Keyboard minimizes pen or finger travel as well as hand travel. Tactex smart fabric technologyTactex's Smart Fabric technology enables the manufacture of both expressive and rugged control surfaces, which can be presented in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and surface finishes. A retail product, the MTC Express, is about the size of a mouse pad, and is produced for Mac and Windows platforms. Senseboard virtual keyboardSenseboard (tm) is a virtual keyboard, designed for the millions of mobile computer users, struggling with their tiny or nonexistent keyboards when trying to communicate or type. The VK hand mounted devices allow the user to type on any surface as if it were a keyboard. Sensors in the units measure the finger movements and artificial intelligence and a language processor determine appropriate keystrokes or mouse movements. Thunbscript Input DevicesThumbscript (TM) is a patented universal text entry system for mobile people and devices. Equally at home with Pen based devices like the Palm Pilot and keypad devices like your telephone or TV controller, Thumbscript offers users a single system that is simple, inexpensive to implement and easy to use because it is visual. FrogPad keyboardThe "FrogPad" is a 19-key device that uses patented simultaneous key function change technology to emulate a full-size keyboard, and requires a fraction of the physical space. Kord Interface TechnologyKord (R) Interface Technology (Kord [R] IT)is a suite of hardware and software that creates "an ambidextrous, chordic Human Machine Interface HMI, suitable for any computing device". Essential Reality P5 GloveTo digitally "walk" through an online room or actually "pick up" objects in a video game requires the ability to manipulate in three-dimensions. Not through complicated keystrokes but by the simple movement of your hand in space.

If you happen to be going to E3 this year, you can check out their latest version there. The unit is slated to sell for $149, which might really make it a possibility for widespread use/adoption.
----
PointlessGames.com -- Go waste some time.
MassMOG.com -- Visit the site; Use the word.

If you happen to be going to E3 this year, you can check out their latest version there. The unit is slated to sell for $149, which might really make it a possibility for widespread use/adoption.
----
PointlessGames.com -- Go waste some time.
MassMOG.com -- Visit the site; Use the word.

> I'm waiting for the NES PowerGlove to make it's way onto the PC.

Actually, Cybernet is helping Essential Reality do just that. They made the original one, and we're helping them make the current incarnation which is a much more sophisticated USB device. Supposedly it comes out sometime this year, and the harried look on our Lead Engineer for the project leads me to believe they'll probably meet that deadline...

Ron Hay
rhay@cybernet.com
Game Designer/Developer
Cybernet Systems Corp.