Myo brings a new twist on gesture control for Macs, PCs
Thalmic Labs on Monday announced the availability of a new peripheral called MYO, an armband that allows users to control a Mac, PC, or other device with gestures.
The Myo (via MacRumors) fits around a user's arm just below the elbow. Users have access to a range of controls, allowing them to navigate pages by swiping in the air with two fingers, stop tracks in iTunes by clenching a fist, control first person shooters by mimicking a gun, and more.
Myo's range of gesture controls stems from the device's monitoring of the electrical signals passing through the arm muscles of its wearer. Different arm and hand motions require different muscle movements, and the device's sensors pick up on the different electrical activity, translating it into digital commands.
The device's developers claim that it will work out of the box with Mac and Windows machines. APIs for iOS and Android devices are also said to be in the works.
The Myo is available for pre-order now. Units cost $149 each, and Thalmic Labs says they're in limited supply. Pre-orders are expected to ship in late 2013.
The Myo (via MacRumors) fits around a user's arm just below the elbow. Users have access to a range of controls, allowing them to navigate pages by swiping in the air with two fingers, stop tracks in iTunes by clenching a fist, control first person shooters by mimicking a gun, and more.
Myo's range of gesture controls stems from the device's monitoring of the electrical signals passing through the arm muscles of its wearer. Different arm and hand motions require different muscle movements, and the device's sensors pick up on the different electrical activity, translating it into digital commands.
The device's developers claim that it will work out of the box with Mac and Windows machines. APIs for iOS and Android devices are also said to be in the works.
The Myo is available for pre-order now. Units cost $149 each, and Thalmic Labs says they're in limited supply. Pre-orders are expected to ship in late 2013.
Comments
Cool, but I'm not sure the preorder button is working. Submitted info and clicked the button, but received no acknowledgment or confirmation. In fact, the page is still frozen with the PREORDER MYO button showing it's been "pressed." After several minutes, I refreshed the page and my info disappeared. Too bad there's no way to contact Myo on its website.
Oh my God, this is so Amazing! (Nerdgasm!)
Finally. A way to detect relatively subtle finger and hand gestures. I hope they do well and/or get bought by Apple. (As opposed to being crushed by a competitor.)
I agree on the Apple interest before some others we won't mention take this and make it proprietary. I hope Apple do this first
The possibilities for those with physical handicaps must be exciting!
I wonder if Apple has any IP on this type of stuff. If not, incorporating something like this into an iWatch-type device would be nice. I was surprised when they didn't acquire Leap Motion and assumed that they had their own touch-less/voice-less interface in the works.
They appear to be solving the same problem.
That is a very impressive video. It looks like a real video to me, and not just a CGI-laden concept video, but I can't be certain. What I am certain is that I'm excited by this idea but hope that it can evolve to being worn on the wrist. Perhaps the extra circumference is needed for the bulk of the HW or its ability to register your electrical signals require the bulky brachial and flexor muscles, but I see no reason this can't eventually be made smaller and more sensitive.
Sounds a bit too similar to a Microsoft patent filing from over two years ago. If they're successful they may find themselves on MS radar.
http://bgr.com/2010/01/01/microsoft-files-patent-for-muscle-based-computer-controls/
.... and it sounds almost exactly like this NASA project, dating back at least as far as 2007.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/technology-onepagers/human_senses.html
Cool stuff! Hopefully software patent claims from one of the big boys doesn't kill ' Thalmic
Sweet, I just put in a pre-order for a Leap for work. Thanks for bringing it to my attention
I was on the site ready to order then paused and thought ... however exciting, what would I really use it for? So I didn't order yet. I am waiting till I can get the small armored tank to control before getting mine.
Re the MS link. I know it was a prototype and all that but I had to chuckle. While the Myo looks so what'd we'd expect from Apple or even dare I say Scamsung, that wiring set up on the Microsoft video looks so like something from Microsoft doesn't it? Reminds me of Microsoft's $10,000, 198 lb original Surface vis a vis an iPad.
The first part: To really test that argument / theory we'd have to know what we Apple fans would have said had Myo been a Google device ... I know I'd have hated it on sight.