Display Technology
Free-space keyboard With a dedicated ‘Overkey3D’ solution, GestIC can also be used as an alternative to traditional keyboards in notebook and even desktop computers, be creating a 3D
Windows 8; hands may never need touch or leave a keyboard to achieve touch command input, allowing position tracking while fingers glide across the keys. Radical as it sounds, this could support control in
As it supports low-power approach detection, developers can implement effective backlight control based on
applications and content; in systems without a touch-enabled screen the UX innovations remain inaccessible to the user,
Figure 3
presence detection that instantly switches key LEDs off or on, eliminating the need to wake a device with a key press. This approach also supports power conservation, as the LEDs can be switched off as soon as the presence (hand, finger etc.) is removed, instead of wasting energy through a timer-based LED off signal. Manufacturers of ‘all in one’ PCs are
Figure 2
sensing space within existing keyboard designs. This could, for example, allow motions to be detected as pre-defined gestures mapped to specific parts of the keyboard, creating a unified keyboard and input device that uses hand gestures to control functions. This approach is already supported by
free space; gestures that are already available within Colibri Suite. The technology also supports the combination of two GestICs in a ‘master/slave’ configuration (Figure 3), allowing dual- zone control. The GestIC API provides full support for 3Rd Party software developers targeting Windows.
currently looking to innovate the Human- Machine Interface (HMI) in response to the impact that gesture-enabled Tablets and the Windows 8 operating system have had. 3D gesture recognition can support these ‘Metro-style’ user interfaces within the same space as the keyboard, instead of using the touchscreen. This would allow users without a touch-enabled display to take advantage of the Metro Panel features Microsoft introduced in Windows 8, such as the touch gestures to control
GestIC-enabled keyboards would open them up to all users, even those using Windows 8 in legacy hardware. By providing gesture ‘shortcuts’ for the most frequently users commands, Windows 8 users can gain significant productivity advantages. Manufacturers looking to innovate at the user interface level can now benefit from advanced, efficient and responsive 3D gesture recognition in a single-chip solution, with dedicated hardware and software resources to enable rapid development of advanced user interfaces. It’s time to ‘wave’ goodbye to the mouse!
Microchip |
www.microchip.com
Andreas Guete is Marketing Manager APAC, HMID, Advanced Input Devices, Microchip Technology
www.cieonline.co.uk
Components in Electronics
September 2014 23
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