Fujitsu Laboratories Develops Ring-Type Wearable Device Capable of Text Input by Fingertip
January 14 2015 - 2:22AM
JCN Newswire (English)
Weighing under 10 grams, this compact and light device enables
efficient hands-free operations
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. today announced the development of a
compact and lightweight wearable ring-type device that offers
handwriting-input functionality and a reader for near-field
communications (NFC) tags.
Wearable devices have been making inroads into the workplace in
recent years, notably with head-mounted displays (HMDs), in line
with putting ICT to use so as to not stop what they are doing. But
HMDs do not make it easy to select displayed information such as
"yes" or "no," to input figures, make notes on workplace
conditions, or perform other necessary actions.
The ring-type wearable device that Fujitsu Laboratories developed
identifies the fingertip movements users make as they write in the
air, and recognizes that tracing as a letterform. By writing in the
air with one's fingertip, operators can select menu options or make
memos on photos that they take in the field. By applying
proprietary technology that corrects the letterform tracings,
Fujitsu Laboratories has been able to improve character recognition
accuracy, enabling recognition of everything from numbers to
Chinese characters. Furthermore, with a built-in NFC tag reader,
operators can specify an object to be worked on with a touch on its
NFC tag and display an operation's details. As data from the object
to be worked on can be easily selected in a hands-free manner, the
performance of maintenance and other tasks is expected to be more
efficient.
Background
With modern advances in the miniaturization of smart devices,
communications technology, and cloud environments, there is
interest in using HMDs and other wearable devices for maintenance
and other tasks in factories and buildings where ICT can be put to
use to free up hands for operations. Because operators do not need
to hold devices in their hands to receive information in the field,
there are especially high expectations for the use of such wearable
devices in fieldwork for which operators need use of their hands at
all times.
Issues
With display devices such as HMDs, it is possible to browse
information without taking out a separate smart device. Users can
therefore receive information without occupying their hands. The
problem, however, is that it is difficult to manipulate the
information received. Entering numbers or taking notes has required
either a separate device or a notepad, forcing the operator to
interrupt the task at hand.
About the Technology
Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a lightweight and compact device
wearable as a ring that makes it easy to draw letterforms in the
air as a way to select displayed content and take notes. Despite
being ring-sized, the device includes motion sensors for text
input, an NFC tag reader, and wireless communication
functionality.
Key features of the technology are as follows.
1."Air-writing": text entry by writing in the air
Fujitsu Laboratories developed handwritten character input and
recognition technology that uses motion sensors built into the ring
to trace the movements of the operator's finger. As the operator
writes in the air, the technology uses that information to extract
the motion components for input and character recognition. For
numeric entry, which is widely used in the field, recognition
accuracy has reached approximately 95% even without any special
training.
In order to recognize "air-writing", the technology needs to be
able to distinguish between the finger strokes that make up the
letterform and the empty spaces that the finger moves through
between the strokes. Using a button to indicate "pen down" and "pen
up" states would be troublesome, so Fujitsu Laboratories took an
approach that allows for longhand writing in a fluid single-stroke
motion. Recognition accuracy is usually poorer for single-stroke
characters when compared with handwriting using a pen or
touchscreen. Furthermore, if one wants to store the trace of the
longhand handwriting as-is for a memo, without attempting to
perform recognition on it, the single-stroke character can be
difficult to read since the parts of letters are all connected.
What Fujitsu Laboratories has done is to develop a technology that
automatically recognizes the unwanted connections between the
strokes of the letterform that result from the longhand trace, and
correct the track data accordingly. This correction improves
letterform legibility and text recognition rates.
2.Compact and lightweight
Fujitsu Laboratories previously developed a glove-style wearable
device(1) that can be used to indicate work processes or enter
results using natural actions, such as touching an object or
performing a motion gesture. While incorporating certain aspects of
the previous glove-style device, the new ring device compresses the
ability to perform a variety of input operations into a device
weighing less than 10 grams that is worn on a finger. Like the
previous glove-type device, it includes an NFC reader that detects
when a finger touches an NFC tag, as well as the same motion
sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetic sensor). Each component
has been optimally laid out to minimize the size of the device, and
power-saving technology enables the usage of a button cell battery,
which also contributes to the miniaturization of the device. To
begin air-writing, the operator uses their thumb to press an
operation button, which makes it easy to operate using just one
hand without operation errors.
Results
The ring-type wearable device can be used to enter numbers and take
notes using handwriting in the air. In addition, an NFC tag reader
enables the operator to tap on a tagged object to display the
appropriate information on a relevant operation's details or
instructions. This technology allows operators to manipulate data
without stopping what they are doing and with a minimum of
movement, even while holding other tools.
Future Plans
Fujitsu Laboratories is testing the real-world usability of the
device in the field with a goal of practical implementation during
fiscal 2015. In addition, by applying the underlying technologies
to a variety of usage scenarios, Fujitsu seeks to leverage the
power of ICT to hasten the emergence of a Human Centric Intelligent
Society that generates creative innovations.
About Fujitsu Limited
Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication
technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology
products, solutions and services. Approximately 170,000 Fujitsu
people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our
experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with
our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated
revenues of 4.4 trillion yen (US$47 billion) for the fiscal year
ended March 31, 2013 For more information, please see
www.fujitsu.com.
Source: Fujitsu Limited
Contact:
Fujitsu Limited
Public and Investor Relations
www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/
+81-3-3215-5259
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