A few weeks ago a job listing posted by Microsoft implied the company’s Xbox Kinect gesture-recognition technology could be included in cars as a part of a next-generation user interface. And it’s not so farfetched considering that BMW and Mercedes-Benz are developing gesture-based infotainment controls, while Cadillac uses a limited version of the technology in its new CUE system.
But rival automotive tech supplier Harman apparently has plans to beat Microsoft to the punch and has gone a step further with a system that recognizes facial and hand gestures. The company’s European division has unveiled a concept vehicle with a system that interprets nods, winks and hand movements to execute in-car commands. “It’s all about reducing distractions in the car,” Hans Roth, director of technology at Harman, said at a recent media event.
According to the UK car site Recombu, drivers can switch the radio on and off with a wink of an eye, turn the volume of the stereo up or down with a tilt of the head to the left or right and tap the steering wheel to skip to the next song or radio station. The system will also increase or decrease the temperature of the climate control when the driver raises or lowers a hand above the gear-shift knob, and even place a phone call on a connected Bluetooth phone when the driver simply makes the universal pinky-and-thumb “on the phone” gesture while saying the name of a contact in the phone's address book.
A dashboard-mounted infrared sensor watches for predefined expressions and gestures from the driver, and the data is parsed by an onboard processor that activates the appropriate features. Harman claims that the system can recognize the difference between intentional gestures and accidental ones. And it’s designed to work even in countries where the populace is known for emphatic gesticulation. “These basic gestures are being tested to find the ideal system that can be used in countries around the world,” Roth added. “In Italy, for example, drivers use hand gestures a lot so it needs finalizing. It's about choosing the right gestures and getting it to production.” But that won’t happen for at least two to three years, according to Harman.
Except for the long wait, we give it the thumbs-up.
