With almost all of the U.S. population armed with cellphones
– and close to 80 percent carrying a smartphone – mobile phones have become
second-nature for most people.
What’s coming next, say University of Washington
researchers, is the ability to interact with our devices not just with
touchscreens, but through gestures in the space around the phone. Some
smartphones are starting to incorporate 3-D gesture sensing based on cameras,
for example, but cameras consume significant battery power and require a clear
view of the user’s hands.