Synaptics demos button-less remote control concept for digital home

The folks at Synaptics, a leading developer of human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications, and entertainment devices, have introduced "Boomerang", a completely button-less and keyless universal remote control concept.

Designed as a command control center for all home digital entertainment, Boomerang demonstrates the functionality and industrial design possibilities of Synaptics' core capacitive sensing technology.

The concepts integrated into Boomerang are available to OEM's interested in converging home and entertainment controls with an intuitive easy-to-use remote that features the benefits of incorporating capacitive buttons, scrolling, cursor navigation and advanced gestures, while also enabling unique and appealing industrial design without the clutter of mechanical buttons and keys.

Example of Boomerang being used to control a home sound system (in this example, the software seen running on the PC is being employed to "describe" the layout of the room and the audio system to the controller).

Example of Boomerang being used as an interface to control applications running on a PC.

Utilizing the same technology behind Synaptics' market-leading TouchPad for notebook PCs, the Boomerang remote control concept demonstrates how capacitive sensing technology can be applied to future designs, allowing more functionality and easy access to – and control of – a home entertainment system's numerous features.

Boomerang uses direct cursor-control to navigate anywhere on the surface of the remote. This type of remote design can also employ Synaptics' advanced gestures – Pinch, ChiralMotion, and Momentum (see Programmable DesignLine article 205604650 – for commands such as volume, zoom and scrolling.

Capacitive sensing technology also has no moving parts to wear out and is virtually immune to both dirt and moisture. Users don't have to worry about damaging the remote's buttons after constant usage – capacitive buttons never wear out.

Boomerang features
Synaptics' dynamic user interface solutions allow a variety of layout options and adaptive menus. The Boomerang demonstrates how capacitive technology and gesture recognition can improve the function of universal remote controls. Examples include:

• DualMode – highlights images of living areas on the remote TouchPad to help control home devices. 
   
• Proximity Sensing – remote activates and illuminates as user approaches and powers down when user moves away. 
   
• Feedback – remote provides visual, audio and tactile feedback to indicate when the user's command is recognized. 
   
• Dynamic Control – Gesture-based control pad customized to take full advantage of the digital home.

For more information, please visit www.synaptics.com