/sci/ - Science & Math

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/23/mit-researchers-develop-the-most-fabulous-gesture-control-techni/

These colorful gloves are the result of economies of scale. Sensors that detect the spectrum of visible light are the most common and thus will be cheapest for mass adoption.

If this technology picks up, such gaudy gloves probably could be avoided by using a sensor that differentiates wavelength/frequency in another region of EM radiation. I would presume one that is lower energy, such as infrared.

Specifically, 5 nanometers to 0.5 micrometers. This would allow for black gloves. Invisible shades within this region would be equivalent to the different colors.

However, it's expensive to manufacture gloves that MUST be made from a specific substance or a very narrow range of substances that emit EM waves at a certain wavelength.

Additionally, common objects could not be readily integrated into gestures. This is not due to the fact they emit visible light, for the range of emitted radiation extends far past visible light. But WE interpret patterns in visible light, while the object does not necessarily emit IR radiation that coincides to the different visible light. I nay not be explaining this in the best way, so here's an example: We may see a Rubix cube in 3x3 squares, the emission of IR may not coincide to the dyes used. Thus, an IR camera may interpret them as 1x1 or 3x3 with rows of the same IR color while the visible color may differ.