Elliptic Labs demonstrates its touchless user interface for iPad (with video) As promised a while back, we got to chat with Elliptic Labs here at CES, and CEO Stian Aldrin walked us through the touchless gesture technology his 15-person Norway-based company is developing as a prototype.
The whole thing is based on ultrasound, it turns out -- a small speaker kicks out frequencies higher than the ear can hear, and a set of microphones listens in on the reflections, using an algorithim to calculate where your hand is at as you wave it through the air. The result is a gesture-based control system for touchscreen devices, but without the actual touch. Aldrin told us that the system is already in use in a Norwegian hospital, where surgeons control touchscreen tablets without having to take their sanitized gloves off during surgery. Currently, the system only allows for a few simple gestures (swiping up and down, or left and right), but that's just a limitation of the demo units Elliptic Labs has created.
Video here... Elliptic Labs uses ultrasound to control Windows 8 laptops - consumer electronics, Windows laptops, smartphones, hardware systems, tablets, laptops, Elliptic Labs. Norwegian company Elliptic Labs' touchless gesturing technology allows users to control devices by waving their hands in front of the screen, and the first implementation has been tailored for Windows 8 PCs, the company said on Tuesday.
Elliptic's technology is based on ultrasound, which is emitted from speakers and bounced back to microphones to track the user's hand movements, similar to how sonar detects objects. The movements are then interpreted by Elliptic's software to control the device. The speakers are dedicated while the microphones can be used as regular microphones, as well. They are placed around the screen and only have to be a few millimeters in diameter, according to chief operating officer Haakon Bryhni. The company recommends using eight microphones and six speakers, but it can go down to two microphones and two speakers, he said. "Using the new touch-centric interface on a tablet feels natural," Bryhni said. Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com. Ultrasound Gesture Recognition - Elliptic Labs.
Elliptic Labs Launches First Commercial Touchless Gesturing Technology Using Ultrasound. Elliptic Labs Launches First Commercial Touchless Gesturing Technology Using Ultrasound, Designed for Electronic Devices and Windows 8 Windows 8 Gesture Suite and SDK Available PALO ALTO, Calif. – November 13, 2012 – Science fiction and futuristic movies stepped into reality today as a result of powerful new touchless gesturing technology from Elliptic Labs (www.ellipticlabs.com) based on ultrasound.
Enabling consumer electronic devices to respond to natural hand movements all around a screen, Elliptic’s breakthrough technology is the first of its kind commercially available and has been incorporated in the Windows 8 Gesture Suite, introduced today. See video here. Elliptic is the leader in ultrasonic touchless gesturing for consumer electronic devices. Elliptic’s ultrasound technology uses sound waves and microphones to detect movement, similar to how radar detects objects. Availability Elliptic’s Windows 8 Gesture Suite, Starter-Kit and SDK are available immediately. Elliptic Labs uses ultrasound to bring touchless gestures to Windows 8. How we interact with our PCs is in flux, and nothing has made that more apparent than Windows 8.
The latest iteration of the operating system questions everything we’ve come to know about personal computing, which has won it plenty of advocates as well as enemies. But a touch-friendly OS isn’t the most innovative thing to happen to the market; in fact, it might be what happens after touchscreens that really revolutionizes our relationship with electronics.
Elliptics Labs is the latest startup to get in on the action with its touchless gesturing technology, which is designed to be compatible with Windows 8 devices. Elliptic Labs uses ultrasound technology to allow users to swipe and pinch away, without so much as brushing a screen. “Everything is done without touching and there’s no camera involved. Of course, Elliptic Labs isn’t the only one investing in touchless technology. But Bryhni points out the core difference his company brings to the table.