Gesture Recognition Without Batteries 22
An anonymous reader sends this news from the University of Washington:
"[C]omputer scientists have built a low-cost gesture recognition system that runs without batteries and lets users control their electronic devices hidden from sight with simple hand movements. The prototype, called 'AllSee,' uses existing TV signals as both a power source and the means for detecting a user's gesture command (PDF). 'This is the first gesture recognition system that can be implemented for less than a dollar and doesn't require a battery,' said Shyam Gollakota, a UW assistant professor of computer science and engineering. 'You can leverage TV signals both as a source of power and as a source of gesture recognition.' The researchers built a small sensor that can be placed on an electronic device such as a smartphone. The sensor uses an ultra-low-power receiver to extract and classify gesture information from wireless transmissions around us. When a person gestures with the hand, it changes the amplitude of the wireless signals in the air. The AllSee sensors then recognize unique amplitude changes created by specific gestures."
Prior art (Score:5, Funny)
As someone who used to own a TV with rabbit ears, I claim prior art on the use of strange gestures and body positions to control devices.
Re: (Score:2)
Don't move
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
In the ancient days of my youth I connected a short wire to the grid of of a simple vacuum tube and monitored the plate current on a meter. As I moved around the room the meter current fluctuated. This illustrates just how sensitive electronics are.
Do I understand this correctly? (Score:3)
It's a receiver that doesn't require a power source, but to say change the channel on a TV, it needs to be connected to some sort of transmitter that DOES require a power source.
Re: (Score:2)
It's a receiver that doesn't require a power source, but to say change the channel on a TV, it needs to be connected to some sort of transmitter that DOES require a power source.
You see, you can put this device IN THE TV as part of it. Now you don't need a standard battery powered remote control.
Then what would be the point of it not requiring an external power source if it's built into something that does?
Also, "The prototype could correctly identify the gestures more than 90 percent of the time while performed more than 2 feet away from the device."
I prefer sitting much more than 2 feet from a TV. There are already powered hand gesture systems with much better range that can be built into a TV.
Wow, that sure took a lot of thought!
Obviously it didn't.
+1 Nomination for AWESOME (Score:5, Insightful)
I suppose some killjoys will complain that the parts of the world most in need of low power tech are also those most lacking in the ambient signals needed to make this work. Pffft! This is simply brilliant.
'cause that's reliable (Score:3)
so it works in a big open park in the middle of a city. it doesn't work at all in the middle of a farm, or between cities. It's sketchy on the street between two buildings. And it's intermittant in the underground parking garage.
tvision rabbit ears always worked well. they never needed crazy adjusting, nor aluminum foil.
Prior art? (Score:3)
This isn't exactly a new concept, just used in a new way.
Re: (Score:1)
The theremin generates the radio signal, using quite a bit of power. The point of this is that it can detect changes in the surrounding radio noise and not needing to create it itself.
To the Arduino! (Score:2, Informative)
I'm throwing things down on my breadboard as I speak.
Think about it this way, Radio waves are just electromagnetic waves like light. It's all around us. Our eyes can detect it bouncing off other things. This is just a eye that can detect the radio waves reflecting off of things. Astronomers do this all the time with radio telescopes, which I would figure these guys used a bunch of their concepts for this.
The really major part of doing this is knocking out the noise to be able to discern the motion. That, I
Re: To the Arduino! (Score:1)
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
The sensor does not consume power. (Score:2)
It is cool, though.
Re: (Score:2)
Old idea with a ridiculous heading: (Score:3)
Without batteries? Bullshit.
A glance at the video shows it lighting a LED. Where does that power come from?
It's a very old idea. Passive Radar was first demonstrated in 1935
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Theremin (Score:1)
Ambient EM radiation. (Score:2)
The sensor uses an ultra-low-power receiver to extract and classify gesture information from wireless transmissions around us.
I live in a Faraday cage, you insensitive clod!
P.S.
I approve of the name AllSee... well... except that they should drop the stupid CamalCase on the 'S'.... and the two l's might be a bit redundant.
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Kinect... (Score:2)
...doesn't require batteries.