Project Digits
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Project Digits is a
Microsoft Research Microsoft Research (MSR) is the research subsidiary of Microsoft. It was created in 1991 by Richard Rashid, Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold with the intent to advance state-of-the-art computing and solve difficult world problems through technologi ...
Project under Microsoft's
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
laboratory at the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
; researchers from
Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
and
University of Crete The University of Crete (UoC; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης) is a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented institution in Crete, Greece, located in the cities of Rethymno (official seat) and Heraklion, and one of the country's most aca ...
are also involved in this project. Project is led by David Kim a
Microsoft Research Microsoft Research (MSR) is the research subsidiary of Microsoft. It was created in 1991 by Richard Rashid, Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold with the intent to advance state-of-the-art computing and solve difficult world problems through technologi ...
PhD and also a PhD Student in computer science at
Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
. Digits is an
input device In computing, an input device is a piece of equipment used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system, such as a computer or information appliance. Examples of input devices include keyboards, mouse, scanners, cameras ...
which can be mounted on the wrist of human hand and it captures and displays a complete 3D graphical representation of the user's hand on screen without using any external sensing device or hand covering material like data gloves. This project aims to make gesture controlled interfaces completely hands free with greater mobility and accuracy. It allows user to interact with whatever hardware while moving from room to room or walking down the street without any line of sight connection with the hardware.


Prototype

Prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
of the device was displayed at a conference on
user interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...
technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
in
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
on 9 October 2012. System is created using off the shelf hardware and consumes low power. The Device uses
Infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...
-
Camera A camera is an Optics, optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), ...
sensor A sensor is a device that produces an output signal for the purpose of sensing a physical phenomenon. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a device, module, machine, or subsystem that detects events or changes in its environment and sends ...
which detects infra-red light and then the data is fed to the
software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...
which interprets it to create a 3D model of the human hand. Data changes according to the position of real hand and then so does the 3D representation also. The Infra-red laser beam is used to determine the distance to fingers and thumbs to obtain the accurate orientation of the hands. Further, Infra–red LED’s helps to determine the exact position of the fingertips, as the light bounced back from fingers is captured by the camera. One of the benefits of IR LED is that human eye cannot detect it, hence it does not disturbs the user while using the device. "Ultimately we would like to reduce Digits to the size of a watch that can be worn all the time, We want users to be able to interact spontaneously with their electronic devices using simple gestures and not even have to reach for their devices." Quoted by David Kim Project Leader.


Usability

Digits can be used to control various devices. # User can control mobile phone interface without line of sight interaction. For example, user can twist an imaginary dial to control the frequency of radio and slide an imaginary slider to control the volume of music being played. User can also tap on an imaginary keypad to dial a number without taking out mobile from their pocket. # Using digits, user can play
video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
without using a controller. For example, user can use hand gestures to pick up objects in game, mimic a virtual gun from their hand and press the barrel etc. This type of gaming interaction has not been achieved yet. # Three Dimensional gesture controls can be used to control tablets and computers, 3D representation of hand can be used to navigate around in operating systems instead of a mouse, user can tap onto virtual keyboard to type, a pinching action can be used to zoom into image or documents etc. # Microsoft might also pair this device with
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
Kinect Kinect is a line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB cameras, and infrared projectors and detectors that map depth through either structured light or time of flig ...
, to achieve greater level of interaction with gaming consoles. Microsoft Demonstrated usability of digits in a video.


Reception

Features of Digits look promising, but some gesture tech researchers believe that people would prefer sensing technology embedded into the device, instead of wearing it on the wrist. Dr Richard Picking, reader in human-computer interaction at Glyndwr University quoted to BBC that "This portable, mobile solution is an interesting development with potential for novel applications." There have been attempts at gesture sensing technology like
data glove A wired glove (also called a dataglove or cyberglove) is an input device for human–computer interaction worn like a glove. Various sensor technologies are used to capture physical data such as bending of fingers. Often a motion tracker, such ...
s, which failed to make an impact and were only limited to
video game industry The video game industry encompasses the development, marketing, and monetization of video games. The industry encompasses dozens of job disciplines and thousands of jobs worldwide. The video game industry has grown from niches to mainstream. , ...
, and there is a chance that Digits might end up like that. Also, there is not enough evidence that how accurate and reliable the technology in the device is, especially the
camera A camera is an Optics, optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), ...
, if the camera is displaced slightly then does the device still work effectively? Comfort-ability of the device is also not known. However, Microsoft team is aware of all the pros and cons of the device and believe that significant modification needs to be made before releasing the product in the market.


See also

*
Gesture recognition Gesture recognition is a topic in computer science and language technology with the goal of interpreting human gestures via mathematical algorithms. It is a subdiscipline of computer vision. Gestures can originate from any bodily motion or sta ...
*
Natural user interface In computing, a natural user interface (NUI) or natural interface is a user interface that is effectively invisible, and remains invisible as the user continuously learns increasingly complex interactions. The word "natural" is used because most c ...


References

* * * * {{Microsoft Research Microsoft Research Computing input devices Gesture recognition Hand gestures Infrared technology