If you're tired of using a boring ol' remote for controlling your devices, you might like the CenWatch. It's a smartwatch that scans the underside of your hand, allowing you to make multiple commands via simple midair hand gestures.
Manufactured by a Hong Kong startup of the same name, the CenWatch is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. And yes, the device does have a 368 x 448 AMOLED screen that displays the time and date, along with the battery charge level.
What makes it special, however, is its LiDAR (light detection and ranging) scanner.
Located on the underside of the wearer's wrist, this gadget uses near-infrared lasers to gauge the three-dimensional spatial position of all five fingers (relative to the wrist) as they're moved to perform different predefined gestures. It's reportedly accurate down to a resolution of 1 mm.
There's also an IMU (inertial measurement unit), which gauges the three-dimensional spatial position of the wrist relative to the body.
To activate the CenWatch, you just hold your arm up in front of your body at a 90-degree angle, as if you're checking what time it is. From there, an onboard HelioG99 8-core CPU starts processing the LiDAR and IMU data in real time, determining which commands the user is making.
Those commands are transmitted to a paired Android, iOS, Windows, Mac or Linux device via Bluetooth, up to an effective range of 196 ft (60 m). Other devices such as smart TVs can also be controlled via IFTTT (If This Then That) technology.
The designers are quick to point out that the CenWatch is particularly well-suited to use with AR or VR glasses, as it allows users to perform actions in 3D worlds via 3D gestures. Additionally, by moving the control hardware out of the glasses and into the watch, the technology could allow such glasses to be made much sleeker and more energy-efficient in the future.
Users can perform all the usual interfacing tasks such as tapping, clicking, swiping, scrolling, and even typing on a virtual keyboard. When making PowerPoint-type presentations, however, it's also possible to write or draw on the projected display via hand gestures made in midair.
The whole rig is claimed to tip the scales at 92 g (3.25 oz), with one charge of the 1,700-mAh lithium-ion battery reportedly being good for up to 10 hours of runtime.
Assuming the CenWatch reaches production, a pledge of US$299 will get you one. The planned retail price is $499.
Its functions are demonstrated in the following video.
Source: Kickstarter
