Can’t Touch This
On Friday, Engadget posted a video demonstrating a working prototype of a touchless remote control. An original concept video had appeared on YouTube in January.
In development by Bang & Olufsen, the concept was intended for use in the kitchen where one might have dirty hands. The prototype controls volume and channel switching, as well as turning the television on and off, by way of hand gestures.
The industrial design is beautiful. I intrigued by the volume control—the way the device balances itself at any angle while responding to the proximity of your hand. The use of positive and negative space to represent different modes of interaction is ingenious. It really does look like magic.
Is it practical? Perhaps not. Obviously, it’s only a prototype and still needs some work, but even so, with the 200-whatever channels I have through Verizon’s FiOS plan, flipping through them serially isn’t really an option. And how easy is it, really, to use without accidentally touching it. It appears to require patient actions. It further requires a flat surface with plenty of room. Finally, I can’t imagine it being what I would consider affordable.
Still, it is a very elegant object, and it’s fun watching designers like Joris van Gelder exploring new methods of interaction with our environments.