Motion Sensing Technology

There is a trend in technology nowadays and it is not a new thing to talk about, but there have certainly been innovations about it. We are talking about the motion sensing technology (MST), this technology enables users to interact with their devices in a very different way. Users do not need to press buttons, they do not need to touch a screen to interact either, but rather, they need to use the movement of their bodies. The first one to make use of this technology was Nintendo, with their Wii game console, and from there on MST has been evolving. There are two main innovations since the Nintendo’s Wii, Thalmic Lab’s MYO and Leap Motion.

Leap’s Leap Motion is one of the most innovative devices of today’s world; some people call it Kinect on Steroids, but the creator of this product does not agree with that statement because he says that this tool will enable everyone to have a more realistic interaction with their computers. The only bad thing about this device is that it needs to be plugged in; even though you will not hold it in your hands it is pretty uncomfortable to have to plug it in to use it. But there are very cool ways in which Leap Motion can be used, and some of them are shown in their website.  They even have an app market where you will be able to download and buy very interesting apps, from business through games and all the way to multimedia. There is a music application that is being developed which enables you to play strings that you see on the screen. The only thing you need to do is move your finger and point the string that you want to play and move your finger up or down to play it.

Thalmic Lab’s MYO is another kind of Motion Sensing device that is different than the Leap Motion. MYO is a wireless forearm band, which actually detects the electrical activity in your forearm muscles. Your forearm’s muscles are a reflection of all the movements you make with your fingers, hand, wrist and arm itself. They took advantage of these reflections to create this innovative piece of device that detects and recognizes certain commands that you give by making signs with your fingers and by certain hand and arm movements. The cool thing about this device is that you don’t need to plug in anything or to be in front of a screen; on the other hand it could be uncomfortable to wear it on your forearm. There are a bunch of applications for this device that are also shown in their website, such as a wireless camera controller, a PC controller, and even a wireless helicopter toy controller.

So it will depend on how you want to manage your computer from now on, but definitely both are going to be a big competitor for the “old-school” mouse. You decision is probably going to be based on the price the MYO will have a retail price of $149, while the Leap Motion will only cost $80. Depending on your needs and on your budget you will have to make a decision, either way you will be doing a big technology “leap” in your life when you acquire one of them.