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Microsoft Says Goodbye GUI, Hello MUI
theodp writes "On New Year's Eve, the USPTO revealed that Microsoft is seeking patents for controlling a computer by simply flexing a muscle. Microsoft proposes using Electromyography (EMG) sensors and a wired or wireless human-computer interface to interact with computing systems and attached devices via electrical signals generated by specific movement of the user's muscles. 'It is important to consider mechanisms for acquiring human input that may not necessarily require direct manipulation of a physical implement,' explained the inventors. 'For example, drivers attempting to query their vehicle navigation systems may find it advantageous to be able to do so without removing their hands from the steering wheel, and a person in a meeting may want to unobtrusively communicate with someone outside. Also, since physical computer input devices have been shown to be prone to collecting microbial contamination in sterile environments, techniques that alleviate the need for these implements could be useful in surgical and clean room settings.'"
It's the sound of all the slashdotters coming on the idea of not having to use a mouse when porn surfing. Just move your, eh, muscle to the direction.
Coming soon: "Microsoft Borg"
Ah, Microsoft. Solving problems like undistracted driving and lax corporate espionage since 1975. May you never change.
Almost all technology shrinks in size until it is reduced to only the components which interact with the human. E.g. the shape of the cellphone is now 100% dictated by usability. There are no more 'needs to be there to make it work' bits. This patent is going to be referenced EVERY SINGLE TIME an invention is reduced to the point where it can be inside a human body. This is a prime example of MS trying to be a gatekeeper. 2 gold coins to pass my bridge please!! etc.
Whats the harm in yelling 'Computer, end program!'? You could be living in Star Trek! Go on.. give it a try.
Imagine the ungodly porn that will be developed for this technology... eeew!
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So blind people will be able to use this MUI (since their muscles work)? How does it relay things back via muscles? Oh wait, you mean it's still a GUI? After all, even a keyboard-controlled graphical UI is still a GUI, not a KUI. FFS.
Anyone remember Q-branches invention of wrist muscle triggered darts? There has to have been loads of similar devices in science fiction! Just goes to show 90% of patents should never be approved.
...from Rainbows End, circa 2006.
I don't know whether to be happy or angry that Clarke set the precedent by not trying to claim ownership of the notion of geosync communication satellites. Ideas want to be free, but I'd love to see Vinge take Microsoft out behind the woodshed for this.
Linux Admin: Does Joe seem even more retarded to you lately? ...
Windows Admin: I told him not to install Service Pack 2
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
...but probably terrible in implementation.
Calibration for each individual person's body type? Tech support that involves actual physical human contact? (shudder) Epileptics would lose all of their work with regularity.
In my mind, this is one of those things where we've already made the intuitive leap to an input that makes sense and now people want to go back and think of something that takes more effort to replicate what we've already done in a more convoluted way.
Isn't the one where the put fine needles straight into your muscles.
Did you know 80 to 90% of the moderators on slashdot wouldn't recognize a troll even if one dragged them under a bridge.
Wow, never thought I'd see MS releasing software for the Amiga!
Many years ago, at a RobotFest in Austin TX, I watched a dancer demonstrate triggering of multiple MIDI-controlled musical instruments from EMG sensors.
He danced, and the instruments played NON-preprogrammed accompaniment to his dance. If you watched CAREFULLY, you could see which muscle movements were triggering which sounds.
And he was GOOD. He'd obviously spent a LOT of years learning dance, and he'd obviously spent quite a bit of time mastering his new instruments.
One of the applications essentially claims a classifier to learn the signals corresponding to various movements, and then classifies unknown inputs to indicate what movements they correspond to. That one is extremely well-known, and it'll hinge on whether Microsoft managed to think of some specific signal feature not mentioned in the prior art. Personally, I would bet that one's dead in the water, but you can never be sure without doing a proper search.
The other one essentially claims a wearable device with EMG sensors. That one is going to hinge on one of the various automatic features they've claimed that distinguishes it from all the different prosthetic devices that have EMG sensors mounted in them.
as always
" and a person in a meeting may want to unobtrusively communicate with someone outside"
This sounds like that sign/hand/body language the Bene Gesserit used in Dune
I sat down to write a new sig tonight and all I did was make the chair warm.
Well, I can think of something else I could use to query the navigation system while keeping my hands on the wheel. Granted, it's not usually used for communicating with a computer, but it does have a high bandwidth input and output interface, and it's way more fun than trying to flex my nonexistent muscles. And the collaborative mode really rocks.
Prior Art?
:T:R:A:N:S:
... that all Microsoft programmers were Under the Influence when they program.
Microsoft had been hit by hardware bugs (faulty hardware, pentium bug, etc), software bugs (don't know from where to start) and they are ensuring now they will be hit by bugs by the old definition. A simple fly could force you to move a lot of muscles, and your corporate database will be gone.
And could be far worse. You face some critical app, you know that you should not even think on moving that muscle and, of course, you will..
And will be interesting to see what happens with people that can't move certain muscles or do some combos, like i.e. doing the vulcan greeting, or closing just one eye... the new generation of computer disabled people is in the making.
Because if there is anything they understand in Redmond, it's getting things done by flexing a little muscle.
Can you really patent this ? We've been playing with this stuff just for fun over in neuroscience land for years, controlling the computer mouse etc. I'd say this is... an obvious and anticipated invention ?
Hopefully they do some engineering and create some novel, easier to use system, so they actually deserve this patent.
I remembered that most of the new work on prosthetic arms these days focuses on using EMG to drive the arm behaviour (including Dean Kamen's new bionic arm), and there's a bunch of stuff done (and papers released) with driving the mouse for people with disabilities.
Surely this patent application has to be thrown out, and isn't Microsoft just wasting the Patent Office (and our) time with applications that are so easily shown to have been demonstrated before?
Look Ma, No Pen! Electrical Impulses Can Reproduce Handwriting
SmartHand: Merging Mind and Machine
Application of facial electromyography in computer mouse access for people with disabilities
Demonstrating the feasibility of using forearm electromyography for muscle-computer interfaces
Electromyography sensor based control for a hand exoskeleton
What's the original part here? The patent application does not specify any specific software application (just talks about interpreting the signals), so all the prior art should hold.
Sounds great. Hope they don't get the patent.
Amnesty International
So blind people will be able to use this MUI (since their muscles work)? How does it relay things back via muscles? Oh wait, you mean it's still a GUI?
The keyboard and mouse are a form of muscular control.
So is the Wii controller. Project Natal.
That doesn't make alternative input device any less useful or significant.
I can hear the geek going into cardiac arrest if Microsoft did patent muscular feedback - and control.
Tech of enormous medical and military significance.
Unlimited commercial potential.
The current MS PR team could use Olivia Newton John's "Lets Get Physical" as a launch theme song, then hire on Arnold Schwarzenegger to host ads about the new user interface, which leads to the use of the term "No Pain, No Gain" for users having to do contortions for some operations.
They could call the MUI OS "MS Fit" I guess (heh that really works to... Monkey dance, throwing chairs, etc. yeah!) :-D
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
Now I imagine a new movie, where Arnold Schwarzenegger defeats the BSOD by the might of his muscles alone. (Of course, it may not work as well now, since he's the flabby Governator.)
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
...Muscle of Love
The idea and the technology have been in use for some years now in support of various kinds of diasbility. At least in the UK and Europe. Stephen Hawking's support and work equipment is but one example of such but he is not the first. Is this another case of the US and Microsoft, in particular, taking somebody else's work and patenting it even if it has been around for years?
Well considering the fact that MSFT spends over 5 billion a year on R&D, with very little to show for it in the way of actual products hitting shelves, it would be nice if they actually had something to show for all that cash spent.
On the contrary, I'm delighted to hear that Microsoft is helping to neutralize itself by blowing billions on research that has no return on investment. Keep up the not-so-good work, guys!
Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
Despite the examples given in the parent, I can't honestly think of a single practical use for an input device like this (as has been mentioned, Microsoft has a really warped idea of what qualifies as a "GUI"). I mean what would you use it for? A mouse may not be the perfect hardware for controlling your virtual world, but it's amazingly versatile. You can also let go of a mouse. I can just imagine a surgeon using this and then having to sneeze, or playing WoW with your new MUI device getting killed because you had to scratch your nose during combat. Driving?! Are they insane?? If you're not moving your hands from the wheel, what part of you IS moving?! I don't often flex my muscles while driving as that can often lead to involuntary sudden deceleration.
I can imagine that someone at the Patent Office wants a job at Microsoft when they graduate.
The diversity and expression of human opinion is essential to human survival.
RCA and Polaroid achieved a great level of wealth through introduction of new technologies in media and film, and having done so, spent their energies at the peak of their wealth employing the very finest minds researching and perfecting that "next big thing", that unfortunately for them, nobody wanted. Microsoft seems to be going down the same exact path.
This is my sig.
what kind of a computer response would you get by tightening your anal sphincter?
You can't handle the truth.
Microsoft is seeking patents for controlling a computer by simply flexing a muscle.
Microsoft has been controlling computers for years by flexing its muscles.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, write technology blogs.
Research into this has been going on for quite some time in the area of artificial limb control by amputees. DARPA has been doing quite a bit of research in this area, as described in the book "The Department of mad Scientists".
Have gnu, will travel.
Seriously, why not just invest some time learning how to properly use the keyboard? People are always looking for something, like voice to text, that will allow them to be as proficient as their peers without having to learn to type. If muscle controls are anything like speech to text software the training sessions alone are going to take almost as much time as just learning to type. They should just pick up a copy of mavis beacon and have at it (which wouldn't have been necessary now had they actually paid attention in their high school typing or computer classes).
Maybe some day our Slashdot editors will be able to resist the urge to post a Microsoft public relations puff piece. Until then, let's keep in mind what we know about this company and not let their thinly disguised advertisements impress us.
What does this have to do with my rights online?
*start pedant mode*
Old news, new technology.
Watch some reruns of 'Wild, Wild West'{mid 1960's TV series}...The main character frequently uses a modified card sharp's mechanical device strapped to his inner wrists/forearms to deliver into his palm some tool to extricate himself[usually a Derringer], in lieu of a playing card.(the devise was based on a late 1800's device)
*/end pedant mode*
So it may have already been patented...and expired.
Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
Are you a moron? Well, we know the answer to that.
I don't wanna be Johnny Raincloud here but this sounds to me like it's a bit outside of Microsoft's reach.
... I can see it now...I hook up while cooking dinner and end up deleting my kernel64.dll file. :)
Perhaps in the future this is a feasible thing but I think for the foreseeable future computer-human interfaces will be limited to mice, keyboards, and touch screens.
Voice control isn't even near up-to-par with manual input. Something tells me that a muscle controlled computers are a bit beyond that, not to mention the impracticality of having to hook yourself up to your computer every time you want to use it.