When Tom Cruise’s awesome computer in Minority Report first introduced the idea of 3D interfaces and gesture-based controls, everyone else was using Windows XP. We still haven’t quite worked out how to replicate the giant, touch-sensitive holographic monitors he had, but virtual reality is making up the difference. A new system named Pinć (pronounced “pinch”) is a headset made with the iPhone 6 in mind, and it allows you to view and control your Apple device from within a virtual space.
https://vimeo.com/105169819
Inside the headset, iOS looks like a totally different operating system, with apps surrounding your vision, and windows coming to the front or receding. The visuals are only half of Pinć’s remarkable offering, though. Along with the headset, the kit supplies two rings — one for each index finger — which the headset can “see”, meaning it knows where your hands are. Each ring has a button on the underside, which can be depressed with your thumb, and this replaces tapping on your iPhone’s screen to tap, type and select.
It adds up to a remarkably intuitive system, although the current software seems to have limited scope for everyday use. However, the platform has considerable potential — VR is all about the imagination of developers, so it shouldn’t be long before the control system is put to better use. There is already a virtual mall to browse from within the headset, for instance, and the possibility of pairing the interface with augmented reality hardware (e.g. Google Glass) is also an exciting proposition.
In the meantime, Pinć is currently raising money on IndieGoGo, a campaign that is simultaneously allowing the company to take pre-orders. Backers pledging $99 upwards can secure a kit, plus access to Pinć’s SDK, with estimated delivery scheduled for next June.
See Pinć’s website or the IndieGoGo campaign page for more info.
This looks so cool!
Cool!