Slashdot Mirror
"Minority Report"-Like Control For PC
An anonymous reader writes "A startup named Mgestyk Technologies claims that they have an affordable solution for 'Minority Report'-like PC control. They have released a video in which they use hand gestures to play games like Halo and Guitar Hero, as well as perform 'multi-touch' interactions for applications like Google Earth. Engadget and Gizmodo discuss the potential of the technology but point out that the system has visible lag when used for gaming. Will camera-based interfaces ever meet the low-latency demands of gaming? For how much longer will we still be using keyboards, mice and joysticks?"
I definitely want Minority Report-like hand controls for porno.
..I thought this type of input was found to be tiring after using it for only 5 or 10 minutes? Or is that just for slashdot types? :)
Please stop APK.. you're only hurting yourself.
Everything should be tactile push buttons, dials and levers.
I find the allure of making Minority Report devices rather... funny. The movie itself already shows one REALLY good reason why these interfaces are awful. When he tries to shake the guy's hand, the interface suddenly resets itself. You can't "snap out" of the interface like you can letting go of a mouse. It really only looks cool. After waving your arms in the air for 5 min without support, you'll wish you had the mouse and keyboard back...
This idea invented by Shampoo.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
I saw the title of the article and for a moment I almost thought that this was a software package that would allow your computer to see future crimes that you might be involved in, contact the authorities, and have you arrested. Then I read the paragraph and was greatly disappointed.
âoeAny society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
Johnny Chung Lee
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/
He did this ages ago with nothing but a Wii remote, some IR LEDs, and bits of reflective tape. And all his code is openly available!
If you're interested, take a look around his site at some of the other stuff he's done... and not just with Wii remotes, either. The man is a genius. I love the projector calibration work he did. I mean, he's turned folding fans and umbrellas into screens!
People seem to think that keyboards and mice are lower on the totem pole than hand gestures. That's just rediculous. Hand gestures are all but useless for the vast majority of interfaces, and it has nothing to do with latency or technology in general. I've been yelling at minority report since it was released. Have you ever tride boxing? At your local fitness gym for example? You can't keep your arms up for an hour -- your shoulders aren't built for it. Ten minutes of using hand gestures, and you'll be too exhausted to work anymore.
Aside from physical strength, there's the obverse side of the coin. If you did have the muscles to hold up your arms, they'd be too strong for any degree of precision. Keyboards have a great feature besides tactile feedback -- they have discrete commands. If you try to press the letter "T", you aren't going to miss. You'll know that you've pushed it. And if you do miss, you'll know that you've missed.
Consider trying to draw a straight line with hand gestures. It's going to be nearly impossible. Really easy with a keyboard.
All of these "advanced" interfaces are nice for some specific scenarios, and tehy are all great gimmicks for consumer garbage. But they are rarely appropriate for real business. Voice recognition is a great example. There's one simple proof to why voice recognition won't ever be a as accurate as a keyboard -- talking isn't as accurate as writing. It's that simple. People mis-speak, and mis-hear all the time. Would you accept a voice recognition system that interupts you to say "sorry, what was that last word? I missed that." Of course not.
Voice recognition certainly has uses, of course. If you lack fingers, or the space for a keyboard, or your hands are busy doing other things -- like flying a fighter jet -- certainly. But if you're composing an essay, or a report, or doing anything where accuracy matters. . .why not type up your resume by throwing a frisbee -- one foot for the letter A, two feet for the letter B., and so on.
"pushing a button" is incredibly simple, incredibly easy, direct, and discrete. It's quantifyable, by all parties.