Hot trend in Japan: Gesture recognition
CHIBA, Japan--The finger is the new mouse in Japan.
At the Ceatec show here this week, a whole raft of Japanese companies are showing off prototypes or upcoming products that users operate by making gestures or moving their fingers.
Controlling a Toshiba PC with gestures.
(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET News.com)Toshiba showed off a PC that you operate with hand gestures. Hitachi Metals had a product in their booth called "Magic Waters." You wave a wand and point it at a fountain and the waters jump, sort of like the fountain at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
Sharp has a screen that will let phone manufacturers put on an iPhone-like interface. Citizen Watch showed off a glove that lets you control certain things. And Pioneer has a car navigation prototype that relies on finger gestures. Flick a 3D hologram-like image of a gas station pump and the car navigation system points out all of the gas stations in the vicinity.
Chalk it up to Wii fever, says writer Tom Samiljan. You'll probably start seeing stuff like this in America in a few years.
There's been a time or two when No amount of gestures would
get my computer to cooperate .... Do What I Mean ( DWIM )
This usually brings out an additional gesture or two ... and
sometimes the use of the " not my index finger " gesture.
This is when I reach into my tool box with the 4 main tools:
Duck Tape; Super Glue; WD-40; and, "Bigger Hammer".
Contrary to common knowledge, computers have feelings and
fears ... just the thought of a gesture with "Bigger Hammer"
brings about a change of heart by my computer.
So, the the last comment, "You'll probably start seeing stuff like
this in America in a few years." is wrong ! It's happening right
now in America !