Researcher proposes Thumb on Hand gestures, no touchscreen necessary (video)
Would you be willing to wear an additional device in order to avoid interacting with another? That's the conundrum posed to us by Christian Loclair, a master's student at the Hasso Plattner Institute. His thesis, titled Thumb on Hand Interaction, proposes that users control their mobile equipment with simple hand gestures that are performed independently of their device's touchscreen. This level of freedom requires that users wear a depth camera on their chest, and builds upon prior research from the Hasso Plattner Institute that required use of both hands. Loclair proposes a diverse new set of gestures that users can perform with only one hand, where one's thumb acts as the primary navigation tool and one's palm serves as a trackpad. Another set of gestures is based on the interaction of one's thumb and index finger, which allows users to control sliders and the like. Perhaps once the research team determines how to implement this technology without making our lives more complex, we'll be able to sink our teeth into this one. In the meantime, you'll find a video demonstration after the break.
