Gesture Control

There are already computer vision systems and sensor-equipped gloves that can detect a person's hand gestures. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have developed an alternative technology, however, that offers some key advantages.

Google researchers have come up with a textile-covered cable that can pause music playback on a smartphone with a tap, skip tracks with a double-tap and control volume with a twist.

If you've ever piloted a drone, you'll know that utilizing a joystick-style controller takes some getting used to. MIT scientists have developed what they claim is a more intuitive control system, that reads the operator's muscle signals.

A collaboration between the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has resulted in a mid-air gestural tone and beat controller called the GripBeats.

A number of groups have already developed so-called "electronic skin," which adds electronic functionality to a user's natural skin. A new magnetic take on the technology, however, does away with the need for integrated electronics and power sources.

Tap introduced a wearable back in 2016 that turned taps on a table top into text input on a tablet. The Tap Strap 2 now includes mouse functionality.

​If you're a serious PC gamer, perhaps you get frustrated with trying to control all your onscreen actions via the keyboard and mouse. Well, that's why a California-based team of entrepreneurs created Tilted. It gets your head in on the act.

Cemtrex might not be well known in the world of office kit, but that hasn't stopped it launching what it regards as "the most advanced workstation on the market." And with everything it's shoehorned in – including a gesture control system dubbed the "Stark Gesture System" – it may well be.

Hate searching for the TV remote? Well, with Matchpoint technology, any object can be used as a remote – you can even just use hand movements on their own. Also, unlike with some other gesture control systems, users don't have to memorize different movements for different commands.

​When DJI launched its diminutive Spark drone back in May, a key feature was a set of gesture controls that allowed users to ditch the joysticks and fly it with their hands. The Chinese company has now rolled out a firmware update that adds yet further functionality.

​Although there are already systems that allow us to control devices via hand gestures, they rely on sensors such as cameras, accelerometers and gyroscopes. A new technology goes about gesture control in a different way – it's integrated into a watch strap, and it's been used to control a drone.

​As more drones crowd into the airspace, we’re going to need measures to keep them from crashing into each other. Researchers are teaching drones a few simple rules to help them avoid collisions on their own.