Since almost all modern life's entertainment is based on electrical appliances that use remote controls, new technology developments could soon mean the transition to an even easier form of remote controlling - using your own hands.

The technology for hand remote controlling is already in place and has been developed by researchers from Toshiba's Cambridge Research Laboratory in tight collaboration with the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering. This could dramatically shorten the rest of the remote control's life. So far, it's 58 years old. The first remote control ever was developed in 1950 by Zenith Radio Corporation (“Lazy Bones”) and it was provided with a wire that connected it to a TV set.

The newly-proposed controlling system relies on recognizing a potential TV viewer and tracking the movements of its hands, even in conditions of low luminosity through the means of a camera placed above the display. The Toshiba experimental TV allows the viewer to control the display options only by moving the hand. “The gesture-control research is extremely exciting and is opening an array of possibilities for consumers, such as new interfaces for TVs and interactive displays in shop windows and information kiosks,” states Professor Roberto Cipolla, who, together with Dr. Bjorn Stenger from Toshiba and Tom Woodley from the Engineering Department, has been conducting a research related to the use of computer vision for human-machine interaction for 16 years now. “Having developed the system, we are now working on expanding its capabilities to ensure an easy-to-use and reliable system for the consumer which will work in real world scenarios, such as shops or peoples' living rooms,” he added.

This is a “handy” technology, so to say, but at the same time, it is one step closer to not moving at all while controlling things. Let's just hope that the future developments will also address the natural human need for movement and fat control.