From: Subject: Hands-free remote TV | The Daily Telegraph Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 16:45:21 +1000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C7CAED.5C961CB0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C7CAED.5C961CB0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22099688-5006009,00.html Hands-free remote TV = | The Daily Telegraph
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Hands-free remote TV

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By Samantha Williams

July 20, 2007 = 12:00am

IT'S every couch = potato's=20 dream - a device that lets you change channel without even reaching for = the=20 remote.

Wollongong University scientists have devised the wave controller - = box that=20 allows viewers to change the channel or put on a DVD with the wave of a=20 hand.

The controller's built-in camera can recognise seven simple hand = gestures,=20 which can switch equipment on and off, alter the volume, change channels = and=20 press play and stop.

According to its inventors, it has attracted interest from = audiovisual giants=20 Sony and Samsung.

School of electrical computer and telecommunications engineering = lecturer=20 Prashan Premaratne came up with the idea when he was at home watching = the=20 television with his wife one afternoon.

"We were watching the news and wanted to change the channel and = couldn't find=20 the remote," Dr Premaratne told The Daily Telegraph.

"We eventually found the remote under the lounge but we missed the = program.=20 This happens in many households so as an engineer I thought maybe I = could do=20 something about it."

He approached undergraduate students Quang Nguyen, who has since = finished his=20 PHD in electrical engineering at Australia National University, and got = to=20 work.

"I knew it would be a challenge but I never knew we would be this=20 successful," Dr Premaratne said.

Once he had a working prototype he wanted to patent it but did not = have the=20 funding. So he published the results in the Institution of = Engineering and=20 Technology Computer Vision Research Journal for the world to = see.

The device is designed to sit on a shelf or table with a clear line = of sight=20 between the television and the owner.

He said anyone could learn the gestures. A clenched fist means start, = an=20 outstretched hand with closed fingers means power on, a thumbs-up sign = means up=20 and a sideways victory sign means change channel.

 

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