Think of it like a next generation Power Glove. With circuits detecting stretches in a flexible material, signals are sent to a device that could interpret user input, be it for gaming, virtual reality, or other creative uses. The patent includes haptic feedback mechanisms – small vibrations or even pressure could go a long way to polish virtual interactions. Imagine having that little finger sleeve pull your fingertip backwards when you push a button, as if it was actually there. In addition to the finger joint sleeve, there is also a wristband pictured which could add further functionality.
Nokia seems to be a bit behind the competitors in figuring out how to make full touch user interface work on it’s smartphones. But they are getting better at this and should eventually figure things out. The basic idea is pretty simple. Create a comfortable sleeve, with embedded sensors that react to the stretching and relaxation of the human skin.
As the skin stretches differently when you move your fingers and/or hand, the input device can figure out the different gestures and transmit them as commands to a mobile device wirelessly. The input device can be used to intuitively control a wide range of mobile gadgets, including your phone, game console, media player, laptop, near eye-display and many others.
This kind of controller may not seem too practical and looks pretty far fetched, but, if wearable electronics will become as popular as some are predicting, it might come in quite handy in a few years.
Remote Input Sleeves from Nokia via Intomobile.
