SAY GOODBYE TO TV REMOTE CONTROL???

At CEATEC (2008年9月30日 to 10月4日) , Japan,  both Panasonic and Hitachi showed off the 'spatial hand gesture user interfaces" for their TV sets.

This "hand gesture user interface" allows user to use their hands to perform some of the functions of a TV remote control.

Panasonic uses an image sensor unit consisting of a near infrared LED (Light Emitting Diode), special CCD (Charged Coupled Device) and FPGA (Field Programmable Logic Array - a kind of reconfigurable/programmable digital circuit). This sensor unit is installed above a flat panel display and it detects movements of the hand by measuring the "time of flight" of the infrared signal (the time it takes the infrared to hit an object and return to the sensor). The measurement is done in real time.

Hitachi also uses an image sensor integrated into the bottom of the flat panel display.  It recognises UP , DOWN (menu activations), WAVING (turn on and off  TV) and CIRCULAR motions (adjusting volume). The processing of these signals are done using FPGA, not the main processor of the TV set.

This technology can be extended to be used in computer environment as well as gaming.

其實這個 concept 早在二十幾年前都有 - 明明在 Macross 電影 (愛・おぼえていますか? ) 內用過. 明明 waved her hand , the TV disengaged. 所以，日本動畫對科技有重大影響. Gundam, super robots 等動畫都啟發日本機械工程學不少 ideas .