Natal is so 2009: Microsoft patents new motion tech

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Are you still using gyroscopic things and cameras for your motion controls? Get out of last year, man. It’s 2010, get with the frickin’ times. Microsoft is already in the now as is proven by the fact that Microsoft Research has patented an EMG technology that will sense a person’s hand motions down to the smallest of gestures.

The video above explains it all, but basically you put little things on your arm and they pick up your muscle movements in you hand and translate them to whatever you’re trying to control. Clearly this tech is way far off from public consumption, but the application to videogames is pretty clear, especially when Microsoft is developing a wireless EMG sensor module that could be placed over the entire body.

I’m pretty sure that Guitar Hero without the guitar is far less cool, but the possibilities for this technology reach far beyond gaming as the video shows. I’m betting the second it becomes somewhat affordable the first thing that will be done with it is a Japanese dating sim, however.

Microsoft Research patents controller-free computer input via EMG muscle sensors [Engadget]

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Matthew Razak
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