Hand gestures may replace switches in Taiwan
The hand may soon replace keys and power switches in everyday tasks like unlocking doors and switching on appliances, after a Taiwanese instructor invented a system turning the hand into an âinvisible key." Such a system devised by Technology and Science Institute of Northern Taiwan (TSINT) computer and communication engineering instructor Tsai Yao Pin can accept preset gestures, Taiwanâs Central News Agency reported. According to Tsai, the âinvisible key" system uses triaxial accelerometer technology for door locks and uses a single-chip controller as the core control of the system. He said the system could also be used to turn home appliances off and on. The creation earned Tsai a gold medal at 2011 Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart that endedlast Sunday, the CNA report said. Meanwhile, the TSINTâs Department of Mechanical Engineering also won a gold medal at the show for a âsmart suitcase" that can help travelers identify their luggage at the airport. The smart suitcase has light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on it, so travelers can more easily identify their luggage at baggage-claim conveyor belts. Each suitcase contains pressure sensors, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), and an alarm that sounds if the case is opened or taken without permission. â TJD, GMA News