New controller: wristband measures finger gestures and hand movements
With the Mudra wristband, you can control any operating system just like with a mouse and keyboard. It works impressively well in the first hands-on.
The start-up Mudra is proud. It is already selling a ready-to-use product, while industry giants such as Meta are still working on a wristband as a controller for VR glasses.
The Israeli company really is one step ahead, as I was able to experience for myself during the hands-on at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. So I put the strap on my wrist.
Click and navigate like with a mouse
Mudra Link basically measures two things: the movements of the hand on the one hand and the muscle contractions of the fingers on the other. So when I hold my thumb and index finger together, the band registers this gesture - not only that I press my thumb and index finger together, but also how hard I do this.
Source: Lorenz Keller
I can also prove the opposite in the measurement tool in the Mudra app. If someone takes my finger and moves it to my thumb without me making the movement myself, this is not recognised as a gesture.
I connect the band to a PC, Mac or tablet via Bluetooth - or even to AR or VR glasses. The device then recognises Mudra as a mouse. I can then assign my own commands to the gestures in the associated app.
Mudra also works as a keyboard replacement
For the short test, I use the band as a normal mouse. I can single and double click with my thumb and index finger. If I hold my fingers pressed together, it is comparable to a long mouse click. Movements with the hand to the left and right or up and down are transferred directly to the screen, just like with a mouse.
For example, I navigate through the Apple Maps app or make a rubber face in the mini-game "Elastic Man". This is a good test for playing around with the mouse or the band and practising precise control. As with any new controller, Mudra takes a little getting used to, but after that it works pretty well. I can switch to keyboard mode with a button on the strap. This allows you to use gestures to control the arrow keys or other input commands, for example.
At a price of around 200 francs or euros, Mudra Link can already be ordered from the manufacturer. Of course, such a wristband makes little sense in the home office or at the office desk - rather if you give a lot of presentations or often have to operate programmes on the large screen in meetings.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Mudra really comes into its own when combined with VR or AR glasses. In contrast to camera-based systems, the gestures are recognised even when they are performed covertly. Measuring directly on the arm is also more precise. No wonder Meta, for example, is also working on a bracelet as a controller for the Quest VR glasses.
Header image: Lorenz Keller
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Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
