A Very, Very Brief History Of Gestural Interfaces

Inspired and informed by a fun, little book called Designing Gestural Interfaces, I compiled a very brief and an entirely incomplete history of gestural interfaces in order to help us remember where we're coming from and where we haven't gone yet. By Tali Krakowsky

By: Tali Krakowsky, Published: Oct 27, 2009

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1977: ACCUTOUCH

The first true touch screen device in the form of a curved glass touchscreen sensor.

1983: HEWLETT-PACKARD 150

The first personal computer featuring a touch-sensitive screen allows users to position the cursor and select on-screen buttons.

1986: THE CLAPPER

A clap controls analog objects in the room. This is one of the first consumer devices sold with an auditory sensor.

1994: THE IBM SIMON PERSONAL COMMUNICATOR

The first attempt at a commercially viable smartphone, featuring a touch screen, mobile phone, a pager, PDA and fax machine.

1995: PINCH BY FAKESPACE

A hand gesture interface system based on a pair of cloth gloves containing electrical sensors in each fingertip that allows developers and users of immersive visualization applications to easily and effectively interact with virtual environments.

2001: THE ESSENTIAL REALITY P5 GLOVE BY LIONHEAD STUDIOS

Black & White is a game controlled by a special glove that can translate physical gestures into movement on the screen. This is likely the first commercial controller for gestural interfaces.

2002: AUTOMOTIVE GESTURE INTERFACE

A gestural interface is developed and tested at Carnegie Mellon University on a specially outfitted Pontiac minivan.

2002: MINORITY REPORT

Futurist John Underkoffler's conceptual model for an intuitive gestural interface is incorporated by Stephen Spielberg into the film Minority Report. Underkoffler proceeds to develop the technology into a real world product.

2004: THE IPATENT

Apple receives a patent for an Apple touch device using gestural interface.

2005: Wii:

Nintendo unveils a new video game console that accommodates both traditional buttons and physical gestures.

2006:

Jeff Han reveals a cheap, scalable, multi-touch and pressure-sensitive computer screen interface.

2007: THE IPHONE

Apple announces the iPhone.

2007: MICROSOFT SURFACE

Microsoft announces a multi-touch product that combines software and hardware to offer image manipulation through hand gestures and physical objects.

2008: REACTRIX

Reactrix gesture-based interface allows users to interact with interfaces using the movement of their limbs.

2008/9: OPEN FRAMEWORKS

New programming platforms such as Open Frameworks create simple tools for developing highly interactive interfaces that can be easily and intuitively triggered and manipulated.

A fun example of an Open Frameworks application is Sniff, an interactive storefront window display of an animated dog that follows passers-by, discerns their behavior and engaging them in play.

Curious to know what happens next....

4 Comments: By tdalbey October 28th, 2009 11:49:40 am

Happiness

By talikrakowsky October 29th, 2009 05:39:52 pm

Some lovely friends send me more entries to include. Here they are:

The unmousepad: http://www.touchco.com/, from Ken Perlin

The Nintendo Power Glove: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Glove, from Wayne Chang

The Wacom Tablet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wacom_tablet, from Ash Meer

By stillif October 29th, 2009 06:56:03 pm

Tali Krakowsky's articles are the best thing creativity offers: thoughtful, insightful and true wisdom in bite size pieces.

As to Gestural Interfaces; what about discreet logic's flame system (as close as you could get to the Minority Report style of editing in the 90's)? And what about the Theremin? Does that count? And the plasma ball? Obviously touching things is a perennial human desire (Huxley's feelies, Woody Allen's Orgasmatron) and we seem to get closer and closer to true touch sensitivity from our interfaces... but what about the other way around? When are computers going to be able to touch us back?

By MalcolmGarrett October 30th, 2009 05:58:48 am

I worked at I-mmersion in Toronto in 2004 on a project called cyber/Explorer which was a realtime knowledge-base and video-linked debating platform connecting UQAM in Montreal with La Cit�© in Paris, to celebrate 400n years of Canadian-French relations.

It utilised a gestural interface, used by the hosts of the debate in both locations to direct the discussions, provided by a local Toronto company (whose name escapes me just at the moment).

I'll try to find some photos.