Wearable controller tracks hand and finger gestures

A hand-wearable device called Kai enables the wearer to control any digital device by tracking hand and finger gestures. Human augmentation start-up Vicara has created the device, a smart band that fits over the hand, that’s meant to increase productivity.

Kai features gesture-based computer interaction technology that is compatible with any bluetooth-enabled device, including laptops, mobile phones, televisions, VR/AR, as well as drones.

Small, portable and effective, the device uses an inbuilt finger/hand tracking technology instead of an external camera, freeing users from the need to keep their arms visible and in specific light conditions, which camera recognition may require.

Once connected, it can be used for presentations as a pointer or to switch slides, draw and zoom in/out, as well as for switching between channels and adjusting the volume of a TV. It can also be used as a controller in VR, gaming and drones, and it’s compatible with applications in Mac, Windows and Linux laptops.

The device comes with a kit to help users integrate it with other projects, including “Kai SDK,” which allows the creation of gesture profiles for desktop software with API deep level integration. Because the device will adapt to the user’s gestures over time, it’s also more intuitive and user friendly.