Phones have gone from brick-sized to palm-sized, but a new breakthrough turns people's actual palms into phones.
The key to the breakthrough is a depth-sensitive camera, similar to Microsoft's Kinect peripheral camera for its Xbox 360, which views a user's palm while they are tapping and sliding their finger. The system analyzes the data and wirelessly transmits instruction to the iPhone.
The prototype "serves as a shortcut that frees users from the necessity to retrieve the actually physical device," said Patrick Baudisch, a professor at the institute.
Researchers say this technology can, for example, help someone who is washing dishes. When their phone rings, rather than drying their hands off, the person could simply use a finger on their palm to silence the ring, or answer the call.
The camera will be the biggest obstacle for Baudisch and his team. Currently, a camera is mounted on a tripod that views the person's hand gestures and sends signals back to the iPhone itself. Baudisch and his team are working on a way to eliminate the tripod before the system hits the market.
The easiest solution would be to include glasses that allow the person's hand to be videotaped. Drawbacks for this include people who wear prescription glasses, or those who simply don't want to use eyewear to control their phone.
Although the complete absence of a device is a breakthrough, other phone makers have attempted to develop see-through devices in the past. In 2009, LG unveiled the GD9000, a mobile phone with a transparent keypad, while Aston Martinreleased the CPT002, which features a transparent touch screen with a platinum frame, containing the nuts and bolts of the device.
Developers are looking at new ways users can interact with their phones, and many see voice commands as the next logical step. Google already includes voice commands on its Android devices, while rumors have suggested the next version of Apple's iOS could include voice command ability as well.
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