One of the most frustrating first world problems I have is finding the remote control for my television. I seem to be forever rooting around the couch looking for it among the loose change and lost Lego pieces, because God forbid I actually stand up and take that time to change the channels or volume manually.
But technology is slowly doing away with even the need for those clunky remotes, in favour of a decidedly hands-off approach. Yes, just as you've gotten used to touch-screen phones, computers and televisions, developers are now waving ahead gesture-based technology.
The X-Box game console's Kinect accessory already gives users a motion-sensing input device that can be used for both the X-Box and Windows PCs. With a simple wave of your hand, you can change volume and channels, as well as control the motions of your on-screen video game avatar. It's one of the main differences between the X-Box and other consoles like the Playstation and Wii, which have you waggling controllers around and potentially through your TV screen or small children.
But I've been reading about upcoming tech that could just make gesture-sensing the way we control not just our televisions, but everything in the house. At a recent electronics expo, a company called Elliptic Labs debuted a device that uses ultrasound as a way to make your hands do the walking and by walking, I mean flipping through the 200 channels of reality shows and CSI spinoffs.
The University of Washington is developing an even more exciting device called "AllSee." This thing, according to an article at Cnet.com, allows your gestures to be recognized by electronic gadgets such as a smartphone in your pocket, even if they're out of sight. So far, the researchers have only been testing the technology on smartphones, but say they think the device will eventually be able to control your thermostat, music, lights, or any other electronic gadget that's "smart." The AllSee works by sensing changes to the TV signals that are in the air around, us all the time. It also apparently even uses these same signals to power itself. Best of all, unlike all the other gesture-sensing tech out there currently, the AllSee works even if the device isn't in your direct line of sight.
That means you can control your TV or stereo from anywhere in the house.
Of course, there's always the worry with a technology that's always sensing your movements that you'll be forever accidentally changing channels or opening your garage door when you go to pick your nose or swat the cat away from your bag of Doritos. But the device's developers say they'll likely integrate some sort of voice-activated on and off switch or similar to prevent such YouTube-worthy mishaps.
Sure, if gesture-sensing technology becomes the norm, we'll all be sitting around our living rooms looking like we're casting spells, conducting an orchestra or having a particularly bad reaction to some suspicious-smelling shellfish. But think of it you'll never have to look for a remote control again (and if you misplace your hands, you've got a lot more to worry about than changing the channel from The View, anyway). Of course, the kids will never see those Lego pieces again, but I guess that's the price you have to pay for ultimate couch potato convenience.
