LCD monitor and a standard keyboard. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After giving the world intuitive, natural game control with Kinect’s position sensing technology – and all the Star Wars Brrzz, Brrzz Lightsabre action that goes with it.  Then also adding voice control to your Xbox at the same time, Microsoft research continues to bring us closer to a scifi world of computer interfaces by using sound to detect gestures and control your desktop PC.

The new technology, which is still early in development, uses the doppler effect, bouncing ultrasonic waves off you and detecting their return times to detect hand movements for scrolling screens and even detecting your presence as a security measure.  Demonstrations at this stage are impressive and it is another step toward intuitive interfaces.

There’s still a place for the keyboard and mouse for the moment but soon your PC will sense your motions, see you, know who you are and hear what you’re saying to it.  Just don’t let it control your front door or you might have to be careful what you say in front of it.

[Gizmodo UK]