Wed, Sep 19, 2012 | 13:39 BST
Microsoft patents wearable controller tech, powered by muscles
Microsoft has filed a patent for what it calls a ‘Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller’, making use of tech that records muscle output to communicate with games. The company also recently filed patents for ‘environmental display’ tech that projects game environments around your front room.
IGN reported on the patent, which was filed back in July.
Here’s the patent descriptor in full. Pics are below:
A ‘Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller’ includes a plurality of Electromyography (EMG) sensors and provides a wired or wireless human-computer interface (HCl) for interacting with computing systems and attached devices via electrical signals generated by specific movement of the user’s muscles.
Following initial automated self-calibration and positional localization processes, measurement and interpretation of muscle generated electrical signals is accomplished by sampling signals from the EMG sensors of the Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller.
In operation, the Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller is donned by the user and placed into a coarsely approximate position on the surface of the user’s skin. Automated cues or instructions are then provided to the user for fine-tuning placement of the Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller.
Examples of Wearable Electromyography-Based Controllers include articles of manufacture, such as an armband, wristwatch, or article of clothing having a plurality of integrated EMG-based sensor nodes and associated electronics.
Wearable hardware has been attracting a lot of interest recently, with a Valve goggle prototype being snapped by an NY Times journalist, Sony’s new HMZ being showcased at TGS, and with Oculus Rift being funded on Kickstarter.
Is this the future, or does it make you uneasy? Let us know below.
10 comments
#1
ManuOtaku
19/09/12, 1:43 pm
I hope it doesnt detect bowel movements
#2
Gadzooks!
19/09/12, 1:56 pm
Oh fuck off MS. I don’t even like putting on 3D specs.
They cannot seriously expect gamers to don a frigging cybersuit.
Just show us an evolution of the control pad and drop the whole bollocking VR fad.
#3
Len
19/09/12, 1:59 pm
Purple Aki will be pleased!
#4
silkvg247
19/09/12, 2:00 pm
Chest nodes wouldn’t work for women, Just sayin’.
#5
Dragon246
19/09/12, 2:05 pm
What the hell are they thinking? A controller is good enough for me, I dont need a fucking leeching suit which is “powered by muscles” and not a 500 year old invention called battery.
Although it would use batteries probably.
#6
Dragon246
19/09/12, 2:10 pm
@4,
Thats sexist.
#7
OlderGamer
19/09/12, 2:16 pm
Just because they have a filed a patent doesn’t mean they are about to make one.
#8
viralshag
19/09/12, 2:17 pm
@4, Well duh, girls don’t play games.
#9
Gadzooks!
19/09/12, 3:24 pm
#7
True, but I want to be part of the feedback (because some of it reaches the right ears) that says ‘hell no, this shit aint flyin’, just in case..
#10
Gheritt White
19/09/12, 4:20 pm
Dildonics!