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Canesta said the patented technology it has developed enables devices to perceive objects around them in three dimensions. The technology might let an automobile warn its driver of a dangerous lane change, for example, or could be used in a baby monitor that would sound a warning if it saw the child trying to climb out of its crib.
Canesta also believes its tools could put an end to traditional input devices, like keyboards and computer mice, since computers would be able to detect hand and body movements and translate these into commands. This might let a person play a computer video game, for example, where the computer detects and interprets the person's movements without the need for a joystick or control pad.
The technology could also let a person change television channels with a gesture at the TV set instead of using a remote control. Canesta said it has already done substantial research into the area of gesture-controlled consumer electronics and "virtual" keyboards, and the company is now working on adapting its technology for incorporation into personal electronics later this year.
"It is the ability to sense the nearby world as three-dimensional contours, rather than as flat images, that makes such unrelated but intriguing applications ultimately possible," said Nazim Kareemi, Canesta's president and chief executive officer.
Canesta's technology is based on 3D electronic perception sensor chips and on proprietary image processing software that is embedded in the chips.
The technology uses a concept similar to RADAR, where radio waves are bounced off objects and timed to determine how far away the objects are. With Canesta's technology, bursts of invisible light are constantly bounced off surrounding objects, and information about the images and their distance is quickly processed to determine their location in three dimensions. Most of the essential calculations are done directly on the chip, which means the hardware itself provides a 3D "contour map" of the world, ready for use by software applications.
Canesta did not give pricing for its core technology but said it was "ultra low-cost," and Kareemi said the technology is likely to be embedded in even the most modestly-priced electronic devices. Canesta said makers of PDAs and mobile phones have expressed strong interest in the technology.
Founded in 1999, Canesta has secured backing of more than USD20 million from institutions including Carlyle Venture Partners, Apax Partners and JP Morgan Partners.
Canesta is at http://www.canesta.com.
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