Typing on electronic devices via a ring!

© naftemporiki.gr Typing on electronic devices via a ring

Technology that allows the user to form letters and numbers with his fingers and see them appear on electronic devices screens developed by Georgia Tech researchers.

The system is activated via a ring on the thumb, which has a gyroscope and a tiny microphone. As the user moves the thumb over his fingers, the ring detects the movements.

In a video presentation, the characters are displayed on a nearby screen -but in the future researchers argue that the technology could be used for features such as voicemail sending or answering text messages- all without the user holding his mobile; in fact, without even looking at it.

“When someone grasps his phone at a meeting, even if he does it silently, the movement may distract or spoil the conversation”,

said Thadner Starner, the professor who leads the program.

“But if they can just send the call to the voicemail, maybe by writing an” x “in their hand under the table, there is no interruption”

Starner also notes that technology could also be used in virtual reality, eliminating the need to pull the headset to input commands via a keyboard or mouse.

The team of researchers wanted to make a system that would be available and ready for use at any time.

“A ring strengthens the fingers in a way that does not hinder daily activities. A ring is also socially acceptable, unlike other wearable devices”,

says Cheng Zhang, the graduate student who created the technology.

The system is called Fingersound, and unlike other movement control systems that require movement in the air, it uses the fingers as “canvas”: This allows it (the Fingersound) to better detect the beginning and end of a movement, using the microphone and the gyroscope to detect the signal.

Fingersound puts the sound recorded by the microphone and the traffic data gathered by the gyroscope through various “filtering” mechanisms. Then there is an analysis to see if there was a movement, or if it was simply a “noise” from another finger movement. It also provides haptic feedback, which is especially important for user experience and is absent from movements in the air.

“Our system uses sound and motion to recognize the intended movements, which increases accuracy with regard to a system that simply seeks movements”,

says Zhang.

Source: www.naftemporiki.gr