The future of displays is “touchless”

The Israeli firm XTR3D has developed a hands-free system that, through gestures, allows the user to control various electronic devices such as displays, tablets o smartphones. This technology, similar to Microsoft's Kinect system, will revolutionize the world of touch screen interfaces, as users will no longer need remote control devices or even touch the screen and the device to change channels or adjust the volume.

The company XTR3D is advancing the development of a type of gesture recognition software that, unlike the system used by Xbox consoles with the Kinect, does not require special three-dimensional sensors. The prototype responds to commands executed with the movement of fingers and hands without them coming into contact with the devices' screen.

The technology developed by XTR3D uses a simple 2D camera (the kind that are already built into tablets, smartphones and laptops) to extrapolate three-dimensional information from two-dimensional data.

In an interview with the BBC, the spokesperson for this Israeli company, Roy Ramati, has ensured that the technology offers all the advantages of a 3D camera without any of its disadvantages. For example, works smoothly in broad daylight and consumes much less power.

The company intends to globalize this “touchless” technology, given its potential to be easily incorporated into all types of devices equipped with a screen and a conventional video camera, and could represent a new revolutionary leap in the development of a more intuitive interface.

XTR3D is confident that the first touchless models could see the light during the 2012 – a year that is already expected to be dominated by the launches of gesture recognition technologies in the smart TV sector, with Apple and its iTV at the helm.

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