14 DAY TRIAL // Thalmic Labs, the creators of the Myo motion-control armband, has announced that the former president of LucasArts and Sega of America, Simon Jeffrey, has just joined the team and will be in charge of the company's gaming division.
The Myo armband, in case you're not very excited for what the future holds yet, is a gadget that you simply strap on to your arm, after which it allows you to use natural hand and arm movements to control a variety of applications, including games.
It works on a very simple system, tracking natural muscle contractions in order to identify your gestures, and, along with gyroscope and accelerometer controls, it allows you to use natural motions in order to convey commands to software programs.
It has obvious applications in gaming, including virtual-reality experiences, complementing the Oculus Rift without having to buy several additional controllers.
"The company already has a robust list of game developers using the Myo armband to completely revolutionize the gaming experience. I am excited by this opportunity to help Thalmic Labs reach its fullest potential in gaming applications," Jeffrey said in a statement, as quoted by GamaSutra.
Myo is currently compatible with the Windows, Mac, iOS and Android platforms, and its creator is currently taking developer applications on the Thalmic Labs website, for those interested in exploring what the revolutionary device has to offer.
"We're granting early access to our SDK and a limited number of pre-production Myos! Tell us what you'd like to build, and you could be in our group of Thalmic Alpha Developers. Developers who have already pre-ordered will be considered first. "
"We're continuing to accept and review all applications and encourage you to apply to get early access to our SDK and join the conversation on our Developer Forum," Thalmic Labs states.
In addition to this, you can also place a pre-order for both the developer kit as well as the final consumer version of the Myo armband controller, which will ship sometime around mid-2014.
If you want to see the Myo armband in action, check out the video below, showing how the motion-control armband can be employed to deliver presentations, teach you how to properly cut a chicken breast and share your incredible ski jump with the world.
Oh, and it also works with shooters, making for the closest simulation of the ancient times when children were playing pretend soldiers outside, and not on their consoles.
