Way back in the stone age of 1986, when I was still playing with Western Barbie and My Little Pony, Vincent was developing a breakthrough in computer-human interaction. Using an old school Commodore 64, they were able to come up with a rough system, but eventually switched over to Windows and have been having success with the Windows OS since. Over the years they have expanded their patent and have developed all sorts of gesture controlled goodies. Some are geared to be educational, others are helping people in their lives and some are just plain fun.
The photograph shows us listening to Vincent as he demonstrates the AirPoint, which allows you to point at the screen and use your hand as a mouse. It's really neat and allows a level of human-computer interaction unencumbered by remotes or pointers.
Another really interesting invention that they have created is the Immersive Virtual Gaming, which allows users to stand in front of a green screen and see themselves in an interactive video game. I was a bit sad that I didn't get to try this one out, but it was cool to watch regardless.
One thing that I hadn't realized the GestureTek technology could be applied to was physiotherapy. Apparently the units are extremely popular and helpful in the rehabilitation of patients. I was extremely pleased to hear this because I was racking my brain trying to think of additional real-world applications of the technology and this was one that I hadn't considered. To think that their technology is tuned enough to track every single movement you make and calculate how well you complete the movement is really mind-boggling. The reason I find it really neat is because I have a Wii fit and sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the movement correctly because it only registers your balance.
There is already tons of media attention surrounding GestureTek and their achievements and as they continue to grow, I'm sure they will push the limits of this technology to explore new creative and groundbreaking avenues.
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