A device that would allow users to use their hands to control virtual objects is in development at Facebook. Designed to be worn on the wrist, this smart device will work with AR glasses to create an augmented reality experience, unlike anything that’s on offer in the market right now.
The tech giant recently disclosed information about the device on its website. Facebook stated that the technology would allow users to enter virtual worlds and they could use their finger movements to simply control several elements within it.
The AR system is expected to “transform the way we connect with people near and far” in the future, Facebook said.
“Imagine being able to teleport anywhere in the world to have shared experiences with the people who matter most in your life — no matter where they happen to be,” stated Andrew Bosworth, the Head of Facebook’s Reality Labs.
Previously, the company has majorly focused its AR initiatives towards enhancing gaming experiences but now it’s working towards the technology’s everyday applications.
The device will translate complex hand movements using a technology known as electromyography, or EMG which measures electrical activity in muscles as they move.
Sensors will “translate electrical motor nerve signals that travel through the wrist to the hand into digital commands that you can use to control the functions of a device,” Facebook stated.
The technology is capable of detecting finger movements as small as one millimeter through the signals that start in the brain and travel through the wrist. The company also said that in the future, “it may even be possible to sense just the intention to move a finger.”
The objective is to create “computing experiences where the human is the absolute center of the entire experience,” Facebook added.
Follow us on LinkedIn
Read other Articles