Georgia Tech gives you a quick gesture

Ever felt like making a rude gesture at your watch?  I know sometimes when I’m running late I curse time for obviously having sped up and thus ruin my day.  But in the future you might have to be careful; a gesture out of place and you may just wipe your hard-drive.  Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have put their developing gesture-recognising technology into a wrist-mounted device.

Previously the technology has been used in a pendant worn around the neck, and in cellphones to control menu navigation and games.  An array of five infra-red sensors monitor objects directly above the watch face, and can track their movement and translate that into gesture-based instructions to a Bluetooth-connected computer.  For instance, a circular movement might indicate “power on” while a sweep across means “check email”.

Their intention is to save everyone who has trouble navigating tiny displays and even tinier buttons, which as I get older and more myopic I’m starting to think is a very good idea.

Discovery Channel [via ubergizmo]