Freespace MotionEngine set to move smartphone users

Hillcrest Labs has announced that its new Freespace MotionEngine is now available to smartphone manufacturers around the world. The most control system is available to manufacturers and component suppliers for smartphones and tablets. The system is embedded software that's able to manage and enhance sensors commonly found in smartphones and tablets today for motion based applications.

When integrated into smartphones packing the appropriate sensors the Freespace MotionEngine can add contextual awareness to precisely track the motion of the phone and surroundings for context aware applications. One application of this tech is phones that can sense a car accident or fall. Then beep to see if the user responds, and send an emergency call for an ambulance if the user doesn't respond in a timely manner. The system can also augment GPS in instances where GPS signals are not available or when GPS isn't accurate by sensing if the user is wanting by landmarks such as a mall and then calculate the location using Wi-Fi.

The system would also be able to offer coupons for stores when it senses the user walking by. There are numbers of other things the system can be used for including augmented reality, gaming, fitness, and gesture controls. If the MotionEngine is combined with the company's Freespace Gesture Recognition Engine, the user would be able to use gestures to perform tasks on their phone such as navigating the browser or adjusting volume. There is no word on when we might see tablets and smartphone using this technology on the market.