Tag Archives: Head Gestures

Sesame Touch-Free Smartphone Uses Head Gestures Instead

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Sesame Touch-Free Smartphone

Besides the magic word from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Sesame is also the name of a touch-free smartphone that could prove very useful to people who can’t use their hands.

Touch-free devices are currently being developed for disabled people only, but the truth is we’re heading to a future where we no longer use taps in order to control things. The change from hardware buttons to touchscreens, something that seems perfectly normal now, would’ve been classified as sci-fi a couple of decades ago, but the way we’re interacting with our devices doesn’t stop here. Moving our hands through midair or doing a certain gesture with our heads will trigger specific actions, and even though this sounds a bit far-fetched, I’m fairly certain that’s how it’s going to be. The Sesame touch-free smartphone is only one of the many devices that will pave that future.

Sesame Enable created this smartphone thinking that disabled people have a right to their privacy, as well. I’m saying that because in most situations, whenever these patients want to text or talk on the phone, they need to rely on someone to write the messages or dial the number and hold it as long as the conversation lasts. You know, not everyone has access to Stephen Hawking’s resources.

The developers of this phone haven’t built it from scratch. Instead, the Sesame touch-free phone is in fact a modified Nexus 5 with some special software. And some expensive software that is! From the $350 that the Nexus 5 costs, Sesame gets as high as $900.

In order to work without having to use the screen, Sesame makes use of the front-facing camera for tracking head gestures. Any movement is translated into a new cursor position. To switch the smartphone on or off, people need to use voice commands, so it seems like Sesame is always listening.

Currently featured on Indiegogo, the Sesame touch-free smartphone will get to backers in April 2015, provided that the $30,000 funding goal is reached in the next 30 days. To secure one for yourself, you need to pledge at least $900, half now and half at the time of delivery.

The noble intention of Sesame Enable may meet its end unexpectedly, as touch-free devices are known for their lack of precision. On top of that, I still can’t get over how expensive Sesame is…

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Apple Smart Earbuds Detect Head Gestures, Act as a Pedometer

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Apple Earbud - Head Gestures - Pedometer

Apparently, Apple wants to launch a new type of accessory for its mobile products: earbuds that track the number of steps you make and that can detect your head gestures.

At least that’s what one of the Apple’s patent applications suggests. Such an accessory would not only count the steps made while walking, but it would also collect biometric data that could be used for assessing someone’s physical performance and health status. The Cupertino tech company seems to take a lot of interest in health-related gadgets, as the latest rumors also suggest that the iWatch will have biometric sensors.

Christopher Prest and Quin Hoellwarth, the inventors of this concept, described these smart buds as pertaining “to a monitoring system that can be placed proximate to the head or ear of a user. According to one embodiment, the monitoring system can be used with a hearing device, headphones, earbuds or headsets. The monitoring system can, for example, be used to monitor user activity, such as during exercise or sporting activities. The positioning of the monitoring system can also facilitate sensing of other user characteristics (e.g., biometric data), such as temperature, perspiration and heart rate.”

The number of steps could be easily tracked instead using the iPhone or iPod Touch to which these smart earbuds will most probably be connected. However, it’s the biometric data that is collected that makes this concept shine. Speaking of compatible products, the smart earbuds would make an even better companion for iPod Shuffle, since on that one people can’t run any apps, so there wouldn’t be any redundancies.

According to Apple, there are two implementation methods for the biometric data collecting sensor. It could either be integrated in a par of earbuds, as the above design suggests, or it could be part of a device that attaches to an existing pair of earbuds. The sensors included in this concept, namely one or several accelerometers, pedometer, GPS and biometric sensors, are rather common in smartphones, but integrating them in a pair of earbuds would mean a step forward for wearable tech.

The most intriguing part about Apple’s newly published patent application is the ability of these smart earbuds to track head gestures. Of course, the sensor detecting these gestures would have to be very sensitive, or otherwise people using these on the street would look rather odd wobbling their heads again and again.

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