In search of the perfect remote control
If you have the impression that in recent years, from all sides attack you more and more new ideas to communicate with the TV, then you have the most right! The advent of Smart TV, VOD services and other extras that made the traditional pilot involved refresh. At the beginning of an attempt to plug the communication gap by adding support for keyboards and mice. This works for now, but at one point claimed that the will to promote their own, less typical solutions. New pilots began to pop up like mushrooms after the rain.
It was available with built-in touch panel, which, however, were not as comfortable as the “trackpad” in laptops, because unlike them, remote controls with your thumb rather than the index finger.
Fig. Panasonic
LG scooped a bit of inspiration from the game console Nintendo Wii Remote and presented the Magic reacts to the movements of our hands. Make use of this solution to today, being careful only new features (such as built-in microphone for voice communication).
Fig. LG
There’s also a lot of trying to integrate with the QWERTY remote control. Many have gone into oblivion, but on the battlefield, yet remained Philips design. The pilot of the manufacturer is on the one hand the traditional buttons, and on the other a full keyboard and touchpad. In addition, it can also read the motion and serve as a pointer.
Fig. Philips
This revolution is not over yet and do not be surprised if the upcoming IFA 2013 in Berlin, there is another concept pilots. After all, we’ve seen even a futuristic vision of this type of flexible electronics.
all this, of course, there are also tablets and smartphones, which at one time also communicate with the TV. One of the first applications that manufacturers have prepared for them, were remote.
End? Of course not! The search for the perfect pilot are not divorced from reality. Are affected by the current trends and also the fact that the manufacturers every year to try to present something new. When we add to this spot and media success of Kinect, Xbox 360 and iPhone Siri known, it is not difficult to understand why there was also a TV voice control and gesture. The only question is whether we should care?
Give voice!
I’ve never offered us to speak with a TV. And no wonder. What should we argue with him?
Something had changed. If Siri has sold so well in the products Apple, Android phones and even longer able to recognize the voice of their users, then why not add this feature on TV?
Fig. Apple
A year ago, it was a curiosity and nothing more. Simply put – it did not work well. Today, it is still not perfect, and under no circumstances Voice is not able to replace the traditional (even the old and boring) remote control, but you can see a step in the right direction … In most of the changes.
First of all, all manufacturers playing with the novelty (ie Samsung, LG and Panasonic) added the conversion system of speech to text. It works similarly to Siri (sometimes even on the same technology), so just hook up your TV to the Internet. Application? Dictation web addresses, searching for programs with the actor (eg find all movies with Tom Cruise) and the like.
second issue, the expansion of the list of predefined commands. The text of the voice control blog Citizen HD I mention the command set available to manufacturers. In short, it looks like this:
– Samsung – 200 commands in the models of this year,
– LG – no system prepared commands
– Panasonic – over 100 commands.
defined voice commands are used for common functions such as changing the program, volume control, etc. hardware developers ensure that their TVs recognized the Polish language, but as long as the command is still not enough to be able to use them to control all functions available in a modern receiver.
After the first phase of implementation of this solution there was also a problem with the microphone. A year ago, was promoted to speak directly to the TV. This makes sense, because a question of free hardware management with hands-free all the time. Unfortunately, this type microphones were quite sensitive. It therefore promotes the use of microphones in the pilots.
microphone held to his lips to better collect sound, so the command will be more clearly understood. The problem is that it kills the meaning of the solution. Since the use of voice I have to reach for the remote control, then why should not I use the same? The only answer is here artificially imposed limitations, so for example, lack of a QWERTY keyboard that facilitates the introduction of the text.
Future Voice
qualitative leap compared to last year shows. TVs do better now with natural speech, and it was she who should be the future of this solution. Voice control seems impractical today, but imagine a situation in which we entered the room TV to not only to be turned on, but to set the record, displayed the emails and let our favorite music. It is theoretically possible. In practice, manufacturers must ensure the integration of speech recognition with the basic functions of hardware and better built-in microphones, we did not have to reach for the remote.
bends boldly body
second track, which certainly technological train will travel at least another few years, the control through gestures. Everything, of course, because Kinecta.
At the end of 2010, Microsoft began selling Kinect for your Xbox 360 console fixed Previews were very interesting. Sensor has to recognize the player’s movements perfectly, turning it into a living controller. In practice it turned out that the solution has a number of drawbacks. Spore Delay, precision far from what the manufacturer promised, and limit the number of players and the distance from the sensor. Technical Tourneo not been tempered by the results of the sale. In February of this year, Larry Hryb, Microsoft’s program director, boasted an impressive result – more than 24 million sold Kinectów. “Pretty” not bad for a device mainly used in productions for less “hardcore” gamers.
Fig. Twitter
success of Kinect was evident much earlier. TV manufacturers probably wanted to join this trend, as they began their receivers installed in the camera. This in itself is not unusual. We have it yet in our phones and laptops, so why not posed a flat panel in the center of the living room. Regarding the use of the lens. In the beginning of the cameras have been used to identify the user and, for example, switching the TV profile. Then came the first applications, such as Skype (which to this day is one of the main uses cameras built into the TV). Gesture control was also used in games. The panels are LG Mini Produckja controlled by the movements of a hand holding a remote control Magic. At Samsung, for example, play Angry Birds supported by its own hand.
Fig. Samsung
with gyroscope remote in his hand and waving his hands in front of your built-in camera, the two methods of operating a TV with gestures. The strongest such a solution promoting LG and Samsung. The first manufacturer puts all the time on your remote control. Samsung highlights the advantages of controlling their own hands. Question what are they?
ads such systems show very precise adding to recognize gestures in everyday life.
Unfortunately, in practice, it still does not work so well. TVs often have trouble “finding” the user’s hands and reading the subtle gestures. To make matters worse now supported gestures forced to clear floating hands, which is not associated with a rather relaxed lounging in front of the TV. The system works, but is currently in the development stage, it is not able to compete with the gentle motion of thumb on the remote control buttons.
future gesture control
In the future, the way to communicate with TVs can be improved? Of course it is. During the first presentation of the Xbox console fixed One Microsoft announced a new, improved version of Kinect. Microsoft Hardware will have many of the features of television. Polish customers probably will not use even half of them, but the fact the development of voice and gesture control can contribute to the improvement of such systems in TVs. If, of course, it will work better than the first Kinect. It is possible that we will see about it next week at E3 2013.
Another interesting technical novelty that makes the vision of operating a TV with gestures does not seem at all exaggerated, it is Leap Motion. Costing $ 80 sensor connected to the computer scans the 2.5 cubic meter in front of him and recognizes gestures apparently until two hundred times more accurately than anything else available on the market today. Most importantly, it is not just hardware prototype. The first contract manufacturer will perform from 22 July.
This is of course design TV manufacturers, but also shows the precision that can be achieved in the control electronics with your own hands. If in the future, any of the big companies market TV dares to implement solutions so accurate, that gestures can become a practical replacement for the remote control. But only if the sensors detect no delay will be the most delicate hand movements and without having to remove your hands up.
straw enthusiasm
you personally put forth my vision of the future to come true? It’s hard to say. On the one hand the three biggest producers strongly promote new solutions of this type. But on the other hand, history shows that they can very quickly lose interest in innovations that do not conquer the market for them. Multiple changes in the concept of the pilot are the best proof that communication systems can be modified as often as every year. Even if you should not do that.
So if the current enthusiasm producers did not prove straw is for 5-10 year voice control and gesture can be so great that it actually in many cases will be able to replace other methods of communication. Currently, it is still just a curiosity. A more practical than a year ago, but which might endanger the normal pilots.
Simon Adamus
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