The clickwheel of the first iPod
worked by measuring electric field disturbances in one dimension. The first
iPhone touch screen functioned similarly, but in two dimensions. Microchip
Technology, a large U.S. semiconductor manufacturer, is releasing the first
controller that uses electrical fields to make 3D measurements.
The low-power chip makes it
possible to interact with mobile devices and a host of other consumer electronics
using hand gesture recognition, which today is usually accomplished with
camera-based sensors. A key limitation is that it only recognizes motions, such
as a hand flick or circular movement, within a six-inch range.
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