With the bold tagline “Unleash Your Inner Jedi”, Thalmic labs had already grasped the attention of many people. Its 90 second video has accrued over two million views in under two weeks. That is a lot of hype for a company founded only last year.
The concept of the device itself is rather simple, and not entirely groundbreaking in nature: motion-based control that removes the ‘controller’ from any aspect of technology, from video games to formal presentations to audio systems and robotics technology. But it is appealing in the fact that it eliminates much of the previous restrictions of this idea of gesture-based controlling, including either camera-based control, which is rather unrefined and makes mobile use impossible, or with held devices that simply add a motion-based aspect to current controllers rather than remove the issue of hindered use of hands. The MYO is based on the idea of measuring electrical activity in your muscles through an arm band, thus interpreting different hand, finger and arm motions as unique signals and inputs, allowing for a very diverse method of interacting with anything electronic without the need of bulky devices.
Thalmic Labs, founded by three Waterloo mechatronics graduates, has already begun preorders of the new device, starting with the fairly reasonable price tag of $149, considering what you paid for your Wii when it first came out. Their website quotes less than ten thousand units available for preordering, with shipping beginning in late 2013. The MYO uses Bluetooth pairing technologies to communicate when connected, with full support to Windows and OS X computers, and plans for future Android and iOS interfaces as well.
In addition to the muscle-sensing technology correlating a greater freedom of motion when using electronic devices, it also means that response time will be even above expectations, as the muscle activity the device will measure in your arm will occur slightly before your arm or hand even moves. Delayed responses in technology will be a thing of the past.
Of course, a frequent concern would be that the device could have accidental triggers, as there would likely be many mishaps if one forgets that they are wearing the device. Thalmic Labs has taken this into consideration, though, as they are quoted as having a unique On/Off gesture that will be unlikely to occur unintentionally, accompanied by “haptic feedback” (most likely a small vibration from the device) to make it obvious when it has be activated or deactivated. What the gesture is has not been officially stated, but I am personally hoping for it to be the Spiderman web slinging action.
Aside from the obvious simple novelty of the item, the further development and exploration of this technology could lead to many improvements in our everyday lives in terms of efficiency, safety, and general well being if integrated into the right technologies. It is also particularly nice as an alternative to voice-based operators, unbiased towards people with specific accents, languages, or speech capabilities, and unhindered in high-noise environments.
The only question that remains is what this will be able to add to the technology of prosthetics, because I know of a few Jedi who could use a new arm. Or two.
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