German Researchers Show Off a Gesture-Based Interface 69
smitty777 writes "The folks at the Potsdam University have developed a user interface based completely on hand gestures. A small(ish) device worn around the neck is used to track the hand position, allowing the user to draw, type, or gesture in the air. You think it looks ridiculous when you can't tell that folks are talking on a cell phone? Imagine a bus full of people gesturing in thin air. Also, don't forget to turn this thing off, or it will look like your cat was walking on your keyboard." Update: 06/11 00:54 GMT by T : This informative comment (kudos!) adds links to a video demonstration and the researcher's own site.
First post (Score:2, Interesting)
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What would those problems be? I found graffiti to be fairly efficient, and much faster than texting with a keyboardless phone.
German Researchers? (Score:5, Funny)
German Researchers Show Off a Gesture-Based Interface
Shurley you jest sir, this could only have been invented by the Italians. OTOH this would be the equivalent of a mute button for the Brits.
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No. The Italian's one is *rude* gesture based. (Score:4, Funny)
Unfortunately, every time they've tried to demo it, a fight breaks out.
Re:No. The Italian's one is *rude* gesture based. (Score:4, Funny)
Abraham: Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sampson: I do bite my thumb, sir.
Abraham: Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sampson (to Gregory): Is the law of our side if I say ay?
Gregory: No.
Sampson: No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you sir; but I bite my thumb, sir.
Gregory: Do you quarrel, sir?
Abraham: Quarrel, sir? No, sir.
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German Researchers Show Off a Gesture-Based Interface
Shurley you jest sir, this could only have been invented by the Italians. OTOH this would be the equivalent of a mute button for the Brits.
I never jest... and don't call me Shirley!
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German Researchers Show Off a Gesture-Based Interface
Shurley you jest sir, this could only have been invented by the Italians.
Or maybe you mean the French, what with their love of mimes.
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Whoa! I gotta gesture for ya right over here!
(*raises fist with opposite hand in crook of elbow, in ancient Italian demonstration of deepest respect*)
Not good!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Remember the last time Germans started waving their hands around?
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It's been watching you through your webcam.
It interprets your gesture as accepting that it has permission to delete and/or corrupt as many files as it wishes before returning control of the computer back to you.
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Last time was the soccer world championship I guess. But I think you are referring to those Nazi idiots. However, as far as I understand that interface, it is helpful to use two. So Nazis won't be able to use it as one arm is always up in the sky. On the other hand it could be seen as a special gesture to blow up the computer.
That's a crappy article. (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.hpi.uni-potsdam.de/baudisch/projects/imaginary_interfaces.html [uni-potsdam.de]
To be honest, it doesn't look like much if you're already familiar with work in the field, but it's probably still worth a quick watch.
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Well, that would be enough: Love heart for yes, middle finger for no. Gives you one bit. Everything can be made up from bits.
Challenge... (Score:1)
The problem having a small interface to interact with the touch-screen of a mobile is real... but I fail to see how this is actually a solution.
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This isn't to use for a mobile phone while driving. This is an interface for a wearable computer (which may also be a phone) when you need to give it visual input. Apparently you'd also still have a Bluetooth headset and voice dialing if it's a phone. With this you wouldn't have to dig out the phone and the stylus* and be limited to such a small input area.
* If you say a finger is better than a stylus, then you're clearly not considering visual input. Multi-touch is great and all, but draw a coherent pictur
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This isn't to use for a mobile phone while driving.[etc]
I imagined that. Would one be able to stop Jane/Joe Average using it this way and keep their hands on the wheel?
This is an interface for a wearable computer (which may also be a phone) when you need to give it visual input.
Somehow make sense in a mobile device not primarily used as a phone while you are "imaginary interfacing". Don't take me wrong, I'm not dismissive on the idea (on the contrary), but I fail to see a remarkable impact of the applications as proposed by the TFA.
Without a visual feedback on what you are drawing and the time persistence of what you are drawing I really doubt that one would be able to
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I don't think it's a computer's or a phone's job to keep a driver's hands on the wheel any more than a coffee cup's or a burrito's. Enabling someone to use the device without removing hands from the wheel is one thing, but you can't make them keep their hands on the wheel.
I think for back-of-envelope type things without the envelope, this is a great idea. Sign language translation is a big boon, of course, if they can get that done.
I don't actually see this replacing a notepad or a PDA, but I do think it ha
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I don't think it's a computer's or a phone's job to keep a driver's hands on the wheel any more than a coffee cup's or a burrito's.
I reckon my initial "challenge" was just a reaction to what seemed to me as an unnatural field of applications suggested by TFA.
The augmented reality glasses thrown in the combination does make lot of sense.
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This is an interface for a wearable computer (which may also be a phone) when you need to give it visual input.
Now, give computer visual input sounds better.
I imagine that the "pilots" of MQ-9 reapers [wikipedia.org] can now "go mobile" and do their job using an iPhone.
Two words (Score:2)
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Precisely. I want to see these researchers use this interface non-stop for more than 30 minutes. Gorilla arm is the reason why I believe that any gesture-based interface research will never produce anything actually feasible.
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Feasible? No. Satisfying? Possibly. I know I might be tempted to pay for a device that performs a designated action when it detects me flipping off the screen.
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Quickly drawing simple shapes for whatever reason is not something you're going to be doing for 30 minutes at a time.
Suggesting that someone do that is pretty silly. You might as well complain about buttons on the front of microwaves. Using those for hours at a time always makes my arms sore.
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It's not something any sane person does at all.
Very cute, solution looking for a problem. Talking of problems, how about this? [youtube.com]
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(needs sunscreen)
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Not necessarily. Many mudra for example are made with hand movements only.
3 Finger Salute (Score:4, Funny)
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Original sources (Score:5, Informative)
Original paper with video [uni-potsdam.de]
Research author page [seangustafson.com],
project papers [seangustafson.com], and published papers [seangustafson.com].
Institute home page [uni-potsdam.de]
Enjoy!
Google Translate (Score:4, Interesting)
Yeah, yeah, you're probably thinking, "you insensitive clod, I'm from _____." Or making up some clever joke about age/sex/location...
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What, like this? (Score:1)
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Interesting? Yes!
But, where is the source code he promised to Open Source and release?
Finally.... (Score:1)
Lawsuits coming ... (Score:4, Funny)
Lawyers just love this sort of thing.
Someone makes a gesture saying "shove it" (flipping the bird, one-finger salute, whatever) and the cop standing in front of them tazes them.
"There was no warning label saying that gesturing could offend bystanders. I want $5 million."
[_] I have no hands, you insensitive clod! ... heck, it'll signal I'm dead - the gesture for that is my hands not moving for 24 hours.
[_] I have no hands because I wanted to see if it would blend, you insensitive clod!
[_] In Soviet Russia, gestures track YOU!
[_] You can have my gesture device when you pry it from my
[_] It's worn around the neck - if I get the hiccups, what happens? Will I accidentally download porn or something?
[_] Call me when I can attach this to my dog's collar so it can communicate more than "walk me", "feed me", and "rub my belly".
Is it just my imagination (Score:2)
Obligatory XKCD (Score:1, Offtopic)
Perfect circle (Score:1)
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Prior Art (Score:2)
I wasn't flipping you the bird! (Score:2)
Honestly!
Pranav Mistry's MIT version demo'd 2009 TED (Score:1)
Come on (Score:2)
Cat (Score:2)
Feedback? (Score:2)
It would seem like a bad idea at the conceptual stage since this idea violates one of the most fundamental HCI principles of providing the user with feedback, but reading the "article" it seems like what these researchers are looking at is how the use of gestures can be projected to aid in remote communication between individuals (rather than this actually being a full interface technology...at this point). Great, now we can look forward to people using their talking loudly on their mobiles phones AND gesti
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You kinda need a link or some kind of address for your useful and relevant advertising to actually reach the people that need your product. Maybe consider putting one in next time?
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Douglas Adams foresaw the consequences... (Score:2)
The machine was rather difficult to operate. For years, radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then, as the technology became more sophisticated, the controls were made touch sensitive ... now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure of course, but meant you had to stay infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same programme.
D. Adams, The hitch-hikers guide to the galax
Hand gestures... (Score:1)
Combine with Augmented Reality (Score:2)
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HandVu similar, code available (Score:1)