Eyesight is bringing seamless gesture controls to mobile VR

Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard are some of the most cost-effective ways to experience VR tech, but they certainly aren’t without sacrifices. While the Oculus Rift and HTCVive employ advanced sensors that allow for better control within the VR world, such features are generally absent in mobile-based VR headsets. Luckily for smartphone owners, Eyesight Technologies is now seeking to change that.

Taking the “less is more” approach, Eyesight has made it possible to experience gesture-based VR controls without having any specialized sensors or controllers. This solution simply uses your phone’s rear camera to track your fingers for touch-free commands. The video demonstration above shows a man playing a game floating in front of him, which he controls by moving his finger and bending it in place of a click. As you can see, the whole thing seems pretty intuitive, though obviously it developers will need to embrace the technology in order for it to make its way to your favorite VR apps and it’s too early to tell whether or not that will happen.

While we still don’t know the full extent of how Eyesight’s software will work, there isn’t much reason for worry. After all, they’ve done similar projects to allow gesture controls for TVs, smart glasses, and computers. Eyesight also promises more advanced solutions are in the works that use 3D sensors like those found in Project Tango devices.

Are you excited for gesture controls on your smartphone? Would this be a good enough reason to purchase a VR headset? Or do you prefer a physical controller for VR interaction? Let us know down in the comments below!