Tag Archives: touchless human machine interaction

Touchless Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI) Sensor Market has attracted over 200 companies

October 6, 2015

Touchless Human-Machine-Interaction sensors include voice recognition, gesture control, eye tracking, proximity touch, motion sensors, short-range wireless interaction and others.

This market is gaining momentum:

  • Microsoft Windows 10 OS added two touchless HMI features: voice control and facial recognition.
  • Apple recently acquired two touchless HMI companies.
  • Facebook joined the touchless HMI wagon in 2014 by acquiring Oculus. In 2015, Facebook/Oculus acquired another two touchless HMI companies.
  • Augmented reality and virtual reality devices “love” touchless HMI sensors, since they rely on touchless HMI sensors for sensory inputs to function smoothly, and deliver the cool imagery and features.
  • Google announced radar-based gesture control project Soli in 2015.

Over 200 touchless sensor suppliers, system integrators, and brand companies working on touchless HMI sensors. Camera-based gesture technology attracted 58 companies working on it; 49 companies are active on motion sensor fusion; 30 companies are active on voice recognition.

Figure 1. Touchless HMI Sensor Technologies and Companies

touchless company number 2015

Source: Touch Display Research, Touchless HMI Sensor Market 2015 Report, October 2015

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

Facebook Oculus acquires Pebbles Interfaces for gesture control

July 18, 2015

On July 16th, 2015, Facebook’s subsidiary Oculus reported that it just acquired Israel-based Pebbles Interfaces. Based in Israel, Pebbles Interfaces has spent the past five years developing technology that uses custom optics, sensor systems and algorithms to detect and track hand movement. Pebbles Interfaces will be joining the hardware engineering and computer vision teams at Oculus to help advance virtual reality, tracking, and human-computer interactions.

Although Oculus didn’t report how much they paid for this acquisition, rumors hold Oculus spent $60 million.

In the past, Pebbles has received a total of $11.5 million from investors.  This Oculus acquisition is a handsome pay off for the previous investors.

Figure: Pebbles Interface gesture control.

Pebbles Interfaces

Source: Pebbles Interface, Oculus.

In the “Touchless Human-Machine-Interaction” 2014 report, Touch Display Research has profiled Pebbles Interfaces in the report. Touch Display Research believes touchless human-machine-interaction (HMI) is the next big thing. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Samsung, LG, Intel, Qualcomm are all working on touchless HMI. They had acquired or will acquire small companies with touchless technologies.

From mobile phone to automobiles, from digital signage to home/building automation, from notebook PC to wearable devices, touchless human-machine-interaction is gaining momentum.

Touch Display Research forecasts the touchless HMI market will reach $42.6 Billion by 2020.

Figure: Touchless human-machine-interaction market forecast.

Touchless HMI forecast TDR

Source: Touch Display Research Inc. Touchless HMI 2014 report.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

 

AWE 2015 augmented reality, gesture and voice control market

June 11, 2015

The annual Augmented World Expo (AWE) was held at the Santa Clara Convention Center from June 6-10, 2015. It’s organized by AugmentedReality.org.

It claims is the world’s largest event focus on augmented reality, virtual reality and near eye wearable devices. There are about 200 exhibitor and 3000 attendees this year. I had a chance to visit this event and talk to some exhibitors.

At AWE 2015, Bosch demoed a system that can help technicians with car repairs. I had a chance to interview Dr. Taufiq Hasan and Dr. Soohwan Kim from Bosch’s Research and Technology Center based in Palo Alto. Picture here is Dr. Kim demonstrating a technician could wear the HMD and see the part number and illustrations, then he/she and order parts by voice command, “Order part number 5124.” After a second, the screen will feedback, “Status: Part number 5124 is ordered.”

Figure: Bosch demonstration at AWE 2015

Bosch gesture voice

Photo by: Touch Display Research Inc.

Touchless human-machine-interaction (HMI) is the next big thing. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Samsung, LG, Intel, Qualcomm are all working on touchless HMI.

Touch Display Research analyzed nine touchless technologies: camera-based gesture control, camera-based eye tracking, ultrasound gesture, voice recognition, photodiode sensors, proximity touch screen, motion sensor, short-range wireless and other touchless technologies.

In the Touchless Human-machine-interaction (HMI) report, Touch Display Research forecast the touchless HMI market will continue to have rapid growth, and will reach $42 Billion by 2020.

Figure: Touchless Human-machine-interaction (HMI) Market Forecast.

Touchless HMI forecast TDR

Source: Touch Display Research Inc. Touchless HMI 2014 report.

More review of AWE 2015 exhibitions will be in the “Touch and Emerging Display monthly report”, June 2015 issue.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

Touchless bio sensor technologies and market

December 5, 2014

When I was shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond recently, I saw this S+ sleep sensor. It’s made by ResMed based in San Diego. ResMed claims it is the world’s first non-contact sleep systems that helps you analyze and improve your sleep.

Figure. Touchless sleep sensor

bed bath Splus

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond and ResMed, Nov, 2014

There are wrist-wear bands in the market that can track your sleep pattern, but a touchless (or called non-contact) bio sensor is more comfortable and convenient.

Touchless bio sensors were widely used for human safety, hygiene/cleanness, security, health, convenience, authentication and entertainment. From gesture control to voice command, from eye tracking to human motion sensor, Touch Display Research analyzed over 200 leading manufacturers, system integrators, and brand companies working in this field.

In the “Touchless Human-machine-interaction” report, we forecast the touchless bio sensor market will reach $42.6 Billion by 2020.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team