Apple has been granted a new patent today for 3D gesture control technology which will be able to identify motion gestures made by a user with his hands. The patent filed in as “Learning-based estimation of hand and finger pose” describes the use of certain methods and algorithms which can help an optical 3D mapping system to accurately map a hand gesture and act accordingly.
The new patented technology also states that the 3D gesture control system will be able to differentiate between a peace sign and clenched fist even if the user’s hand is being interfered or blocked by an object between the hand and the system. With such accurate mapping and in-air gesture controls, Apple could develop a whole new library of control patterns for users and perform specific operations against each pattern.
Apple acquired PrimeSense in 2013, the company behind the tech used in the first Kinect sensor. Some people suggested that this acquisition could mean that Apple might release gesture-based control inputs for its Apple TV but that didn’t happen. Last year, Apple transferred all PrimeSense patents to itself in order to better understand the schematics of these patents. This new 3D gesture mapping technology patent might be a crucial breakthrough for Apple since it includes some key aspects for improving accuracy and efficiency of gesture identification system.
The rest of the patent describes in detail the methods and algorithms which will be used in the 3D gesture control system. It is still unclear how Apple will use this technology with any of its products available in the market but it seems like Apple is finally marching towards 3D technology and will soon release a device that might work like Kinect or even better.
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