The research department of Microsoft has in cooperation with researchers of an American university developed a new technique in which a computer can be operated with hand gestures. There is no camera.
Instead of a camera makes the new system will use in laptops built-in speakers and a microphone. The speakers are used to a high-frequency sound generate by the microphone is picked up. If a hand signal for the computer is created, this causes a doppler effect. A piece of software on board of the laptop analyzes the doppler effect and translates the sound waves in to the operating system usable input.
The software provided by the Microsoft research team, together with staff from the university of Washington was developed, SoundWave baptized. The SoundWave software would not be limited to use on laptops, but also for smartphones can be used. SoundWave can distinguish between five variables: speed, direction, proximity, size and duration of a hand.
SoundWave can gescrolled and clicked and the objects on the screen are rotated. SoundWave can also can be used as a proximity sensor, and a pc on and off on the basis of the presence of a user. Because the sound generated is between 20 and 22kHz, it does not and the technology is also largely insensitive to ambient noise.