In a world of seamless automation
and increasing interconnectivity between machine and man, there are new
technologies that make our lives much easier and more effortless. Gesture
controlled technology is a serious venture for technology companies like Google
and Microsoft but will they perfect their machines to be able to read the smooth
fluid motions of the human body?
A gesture is defined by Random House Dictionary as, “a movement
or position of the hand, arm, body, head, or face that is expressive of an
idea, opinion, emotion, etc”. An action done by a certain movement carries a
meaning that can be expressed by another individual without the use of verbal
language. With the use of gestures along with speech, the verbal message being
conveyed shows importance and value as opposed to speech without gestures.
Gestures also help bring context to the environment around you and overall helps
you access memories where you had used similar gestures. With the findings of
gesture usage in everyday language, venture capitalists like Elon Musk and moguls
of the technology industry like Google and Microsoft are searching for ways to
incorporate this intrinsic part of human life into the machines we use every
day.
During a recent talk on gestures
given by Dr. Elizabeth Wakefield from Loyola University Chicago, she discussed the
value of a gesture action with methodically performing tasks and having an
observer interpret the meaning of each task, whether it be a goal strictly
based on movement or if there was an object that was the goal of the movement.
Her discussion was a great way to get the minds thinking about how gesture may
work within us and how we can better use gestures to our advantage. From her
lecture, I understood how neuronal connections can lead to certain gestures
being performed and also how gestures help the mind create a visual for the
spoken word. Now using these points from Wakefield’s discussion, I can
understand why these venture capitalists and technology moguls are working to
better their products. By incorporating gesture control to current technology,
we will be able to better connect with our products and have much more
functionality than we ever did.
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| http://freefeast.info/wp-content/uploads//2015/07/Google-Project-Soli.jpg |
It’s the “hands-off” idea that everyone
is researching and incorporating new data into their work to better improve functionality
for gesture control to become a reality. Under Google’s Advanced Technology and
Projects ward, there are hundreds of projects being developed but only one is geared
towards gesture control, Project Soli. Google is constantly working on projects
to keep up and surpass their competition but their latest success with Project
Soli might catapult them to even newer heights if they can somehow tap the
consumer market. According to Tech Republic, “Google’s new gesture technology
would allow users to interact with their devices without ever touching the
device itself.”. The technology works by using a small radar to understand hand
gestures and interpret them as buttons being pushed or slide to adjust the
volume.
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| https://atap.google.com/soli/static/img/what-is-soli/radar-visualisation-loop.gif |
Even though these projects are
still in the preliminary phases of research, it is very interesting and
important for us to realize the research and effort put into finding these new
innovations. Creating a more interconnected world through the use of gesture
technology may even allow us to experience being next to someone half way
around the world in the comfort of our own home. This is only the beginning of
hopefully a very successful innovation where possibilities are endless.
References
Novack, M.
A., Wakefield, E. M., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2016). What makes a movement a
gesture? Cognition, 146, 339-348.
Forrest, Conner.
"How Google's Gesture Control Technology Could Revolutionize the Way We
Use Devices - TechRepublic." TechRepublic, 3 June 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
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