Apple Watches monitor activity and biorhythm using sensors on the underside of the smartwatch that press against the wearer’s wrist. A new patent application suggests that future versions of Apple’s wearables could use sensors in the watchband to track hand gestures as well.
when Apple Watch The wearer gestures the hand, muscles, and tendons in turning the wrist, sending electrical signals that can be tracked by electrodes threaded across the wrist. Watch strap, according to the patent proposal. The figures show the range of motion such a range can track, including palm up and down, rotation of the wrist clockwise or counterclockwise, and lateral movements (such as when waving).
Apple Watches already have accessibility features that allow users to control their watch by pinching their thumb and finger or squeezing a fist, noted AppleInsider, which previously reported on the new patent application. Increasing the ability to recognize gestures can broaden accessibility in general.
Read more: How to buy a smartwatch: The biggest questions you have to ask yourself
Having more ways to track body movement could lead to improvements Fitness and health monitoringAlso, using your flexed arm position to get more accurate workout measurements. If gesture detection is sensitive enough, it could lead Apple to find ways to control its wearables in other devices, whether for playing games or navigating around Apple TV menus.
That’s a long way off in the future, though, when – or if – this sensor-laden wristband reaches production. While Apple has been able to include more sensors and harness the sensors in its smartwatches to track more metrics like blood oxygen level and skin temperature, it remains to be seen if the company can create a flexible band that can add more bio-tracking to the Apple Watch’s body-monitoring arsenal. . We’re still years away from having smart wearables that perform well enough to replace our existing wardrobes.
Correction on April 7 at 4:42 AM PST: This article initially misrepresented Apple’s registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The document is a patent application, pending a decision from the USPTO.