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WKetel
I concur with Nick, in that motion sensing will be a short-lived fad, because it ...
vivekv80
Something like Wii’s motion sensor based remote or something revolutionary like ...
Motion-sensing remotes: A ‘must’ for Web TVs and set-tops?
Junko Yoshida
9/6/2010 12:57 PM EDT
NEW YORK – What does it take to design a new remote control for the next generation of digital TVs and set-top boxes? This is a question that every system designer must think through, under the assumption that televisions and set-tops of tomorrow are destined to run new web-based services and Google-like search functions.
Certainly, nobody wants to subject consumers – armed only with a traditional “clicker” that only moved up, down, left and right – to the pain of navigating through a multimedia quagmire that includes the Web-based apps running on TV.
Movea believes that the answer to this dilemma lies in motion sensing and motion control.
Grenoble, France-based Movea, a CEA-Leti spin-off, is launching this week a new platform called MotionIC, designed to let OEMs and service providers quickly integrate two to nine axes of motion processing and control in their new products. The platform, consisting of chips, firmware, software APIs and development kits, allows OEMs to use any sensor configuration -- including a magnetometer for orientation, an accelerometer for force and acceleration, and a gyroscope for rotation.
Movea joins a slew of companies, such as Hillcrest Labs and InvenSense, offering system vendors hardware, software and intellectual property essential to motion-sensing solutions.
The idea of using accelerometer and optical sensor technology in a remote control unit is not new. Nintendo’s Wii Remote, nicknamed Wiimote, relies on motion-sensing capabilities and popularized this man-machine interface. Accelerometers are now widely integrated inside mobile phones and digital cameras, allowing the device to know when it is tilted on its side. Apple’s iPhone, in particular, has opened the opportunity for many developers to devise inventive applications that take advantage of the handset’s orientation-sensing features.
Adding fuel to the growing motion-sensing trend is Sony’s new PlayStation Move, scheduled for launch at the end of this month.
Sony’s new game console comes with Sony’s PlayStation Eye camera, and a Bluetooth-enabled wand that looks like the Nintendo Wiimote. Fancier than Wiimote, Move’s controller -- equipped with a glowing tip -- serves as a visual marker for the Eye camera, so that the lit beacons send one’s hand location to the game console via Bluetooth and through camera. Microsoft is also planning to launch Kinect, a similar motion-sensing controller with camera, later this year.
Movea, convinced that motion sensing and motion control is the new battleground for next-generation consumer devices, is betting big on the premise.
Clearly, they see that today’s button-intensive remote controls will prove ungainly and frustrating in a more search and Web-intensive TV. One answer is to offer consumers simple hand movements and gestures to navigate media content.
There are also system vendors working on a remote control unit, which “looks just like a Blackberry,” according to Dave Rothenberg, Movea’s worldwide marketing manager. The unit allows motion-controlled navigation, while the small keyboard on the remote control unit allows consumers to type commands to the Digital TV.
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Certainly, nobody wants to subject consumers – armed only with a traditional “clicker” that only moved up, down, left and right – to the pain of navigating through a multimedia quagmire that includes the Web-based apps running on TV.
Movea believes that the answer to this dilemma lies in motion sensing and motion control.
Grenoble, France-based Movea, a CEA-Leti spin-off, is launching this week a new platform called MotionIC, designed to let OEMs and service providers quickly integrate two to nine axes of motion processing and control in their new products. The platform, consisting of chips, firmware, software APIs and development kits, allows OEMs to use any sensor configuration -- including a magnetometer for orientation, an accelerometer for force and acceleration, and a gyroscope for rotation.
Movea joins a slew of companies, such as Hillcrest Labs and InvenSense, offering system vendors hardware, software and intellectual property essential to motion-sensing solutions.
The idea of using accelerometer and optical sensor technology in a remote control unit is not new. Nintendo’s Wii Remote, nicknamed Wiimote, relies on motion-sensing capabilities and popularized this man-machine interface. Accelerometers are now widely integrated inside mobile phones and digital cameras, allowing the device to know when it is tilted on its side. Apple’s iPhone, in particular, has opened the opportunity for many developers to devise inventive applications that take advantage of the handset’s orientation-sensing features.
Adding fuel to the growing motion-sensing trend is Sony’s new PlayStation Move, scheduled for launch at the end of this month.
Sony’s new game console comes with Sony’s PlayStation Eye camera, and a Bluetooth-enabled wand that looks like the Nintendo Wiimote. Fancier than Wiimote, Move’s controller -- equipped with a glowing tip -- serves as a visual marker for the Eye camera, so that the lit beacons send one’s hand location to the game console via Bluetooth and through camera. Microsoft is also planning to launch Kinect, a similar motion-sensing controller with camera, later this year.
Movea, convinced that motion sensing and motion control is the new battleground for next-generation consumer devices, is betting big on the premise.
Clearly, they see that today’s button-intensive remote controls will prove ungainly and frustrating in a more search and Web-intensive TV. One answer is to offer consumers simple hand movements and gestures to navigate media content.
There are also system vendors working on a remote control unit, which “looks just like a Blackberry,” according to Dave Rothenberg, Movea’s worldwide marketing manager. The unit allows motion-controlled navigation, while the small keyboard on the remote control unit allows consumers to type commands to the Digital TV.
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chanj
9/6/2010 5:46 PM EDT
There is no doubt the future TV needs a better man-machine interface than a traditional remote control. On one hands, the traditional remote control is too clumsy to use as the number of buttons increase. Nowadays, a remote control looks more like a keyboard. With a small screen, it becomes a blackberry. On the other hands, the future TV is going to have so many different kind of subscription such as Netflix or Blockbuster. I believe subscribers can even buy their favorite shows online. A better man machine interface is definitely a must. PS3 has a pull down manual. It is still not easy to use for users who don't have a good "common-sense" on GUI. Given touch screen is so popular, touch screen may be the answer. Yet, to do multi-touch control on a 3-10 inches screen is relatively easier than doing it on a 50 inches TV. The answer to the future TV remote control will likely lead to Wiiremote like control. Which IP will then be more popular? We will need to wait and see.
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BalaLak
9/6/2010 11:50 PM EDT
Universal remote controls have been there for ever, but there's been a marked change in the approach with the advent of newer sense technologies. Accelerometers are pretty much part of every mid to high-end phone (helps with auto-rotating a picture). Add to this other motion sensors such as gyroscopes and a paradigm shift in motion sensing has been effected. It is but natural to make use of these technologies in remote controls. There is yet another approach to this using hi-res CCD cameras, but that will stay with really high-end TVs for quite some time. This approach uses the user's hand gestures to control the TV operation. I am still waiting for the day when I can control all my electronics using my hand gestures with one remote control in the shape of a wrist band tied around my wrist, or none at all.
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t.alex
9/7/2010 1:13 AM EDT
Motion sensing definitely is an innovative idea when applying for remote control. With loads of button on some remote control, it is sometimes confusing to find which button to press. Nevertheless I believe more has to be done beyond traditional remote controlling function, such as interactive content and gaming to make these new designs attractive.
And is power consumption a major issue in motion sensing design ?
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prabhakar_deosthali
9/7/2010 1:19 AM EDT
I believe, as the availability of web based applications increases on the TV, the best thing will be to simply the remote to a pointing device like the PC mouse. Just point and click or double click on the function you want from the menu. Isn't it that simple?
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junko.yoshida
9/7/2010 9:34 AM EDT
Exactly, Prabhakar. Acrtually, Gyration air mouse does that already. Movea acquired Gyration in 2007, and what Gyration learned over time is now a part of Movea's intellectual property.
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dspSurfGuy
9/7/2010 4:12 AM EDT
There is an interesting device I saw on the BBC series of Dragons Den. It is a Harry Potter style magic wand that lets you control yout TV set. No buttons or anything, just motion sensing remote control.
Link: http://bit.ly/cP4dkB
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BalaLak
9/7/2010 4:15 AM EDT
Functionality like PC mouse in a remote control is a nice idea, but remember that a PC mouse is an HID class device in the PC world and is fairly easy to create one for the PC, but for an electronic device it is a totally different ball game. If there is an OS running in the TV/set top box, then yes, something akin to an air mouse can be done. Another idea is to use an optical finger navigation device such as the ones developed by Cypress Semiconductor and Avago to work like a pointing device.
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Nic_Mokhoff
9/7/2010 10:44 AM EDT
Gut feeling tells me that motion control will create "motion sickness" with the remote. Nothing beats one-to-one correlation between intent and action in interfacing with displays. Anything that requires a user to rely on their motions to control programming on their TV will only result in a frustrating interactive viewing experience. I'm sure technologists will differ and find the "right" solution for interfacing to a Web-based TV.
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chanj
9/7/2010 1:32 PM EDT
Nic has a very good point. Motion sensing could impose some problems. However, A mouse may not work very well either since a table isn't necessary be available near a couch. Even a coffee table is sitting in front of it, a lot of people wouldn't really want to lean forward to use a mouse. The industry needs to figure out some new intuitive MMIs.
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jimcondon
9/7/2010 9:41 PM EDT
I think that this misses the biggest problem with remote interface to new web based interfaces for the TV. The problem is not pointing, it's search. Without a small keyboard, surfing the web, and searching for movies is problematic. I've seen some innovative ideas from Intel using speech recognition but have never seen a good on-screen keyboard.
So please give me the "blackberry like" remote and you can add motion sensing if you like.
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kdboyce
9/8/2010 1:43 AM EDT
So I have all this camera and motion sensing stuff in my home. My family sits down beside me. Pretty soon the question becomes "who changed the channel?" Who is the camera watching and what accidental movement of the control changes things on the screen? Who is in control with the controls? And how does the system know?
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Rich Krajewski
9/8/2010 2:20 AM EDT
A typical computer keyboard has 101 keys. But, the human body has around 640 muscles. If you wired a sensor to each of your muscles, you would have a large enough spectrum of possible responses to manage most interactive menus. If you agree, clench your buttocks. For motion controlled systems, clench more vigorously. If this system catches on, experts predict it will be introduced in theaters, soon.
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stu02465
9/8/2010 8:06 AM EDT
Jim is on to it ...
Search is key with the deep on-demand content, channels that are in the various guides but aren't on your subscription, etc. The ability to enter words, phrases, genre, etc. text entry by typical remote is painful!
As for gestural pointing and selection, true user studies must be done for any new device to be accepted. being able to provide multi-DOF is one thing; market acceptance is another. Teaching gestures for virtualized navigation or relying on fine motor skills may not garner good market share as the median age of the industrialized nations grows over 45. But .. for simple or intuitive tasks, gestures may be just the approach
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vivekv80
9/8/2010 10:05 AM EDT
Something like Wii’s motion sensor based remote or something revolutionary like touch-based device should replace the current plethora of klunky remotes. Sometimes infra-red is not the best option, using a separate spectrum of communication should pioneer something that can talk to all devices on that separate frequency !!!!
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WKetel
9/15/2010 2:31 PM EDT
I concur with Nick, in that motion sensing will be a short-lived fad, because it will be unsatisfactory. Remember that"just because you can design it and make it function, does not mean that is not a poor choice". Web surfing is really not an armchair-TV watching activity. The solution is probably a totally different command structure, which has not been created yet.
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