Chirp: Berkeley's Ultrasonic Gesture Recognizer

Gestural control from the Wii, iPhones and iPads, Microsoft's Kinect, and Leap's Motion all require a large surface area, but this is not possible on smaller devices.  Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Davis developed Chirp, a minuscule ultrasound device for gesture control for this.

The system include ultrasound emitters and receivers miniaturized  and stacked into a tiny array on a semiconductor. Chirp can transmit ultrasound waves, receive them, and process information received when the ultrasound reflects from a "target" in front of the array. It senses position by using sound echo and the resulting composition of sound signals it receives back to the different parts of the array.

Powerful applications can be implemented in small technologies such as a smartwatch or a wearable headset like Google Glass. Chirp spun out its own company, Chirp Microsystems, to produce the chips and sell them to hardware manufacturers. If this technology can be carried to market, it can mark a new paradigm in wearable sensing technologies. 

We also recommend watching: "Leap Motion: A $70 Kinect for your Computer" and "Nintendo Wii U: Changing Gaming Forever".

Chirp: Berkeley's Ultrasonic Gesture Recognizer

The University of California, Berkeley, is a public research university located in Berkeley, California, United States. The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university located in Davis, California just west of Sacramento.