Demo aims to add ‘universal’ to universal remotes

Demo aims to add ‘universal’ to universal remotes

Buttonless, keyless universal remote control concept proposed as command control center for all home digital electronics

Most so-called universal remote controls in the consumer market today are only designed to control TV sets, VCRs, and set-top boxes. But Synaptics (Santa Clara, CA) recently unveiled a design concept for a remote that could do much more, such as control light levels in a TV room or turn on the air conditioner.

Dubbed Boomerang, the concept demo is a completely buttonless/keyless universal remote based on the use of Synaptics’ capacitive touch and gestures sensing technology with graphical displays. Able to accommodate various layout and menu options, the concept shows how the combined technologies could broaden a remote’s capability.

Synaptics’ Boomerang concept could lead to much more capable remote control devices.

For example, the remote could highlight images of living areas on the its touch pad to help control home devices, and it could use proximity sensing to activate and illuminate as user approaches a controllable device, powering down when the user moves away.

The device could also provide visual, audio, and/or tactile feedback to indicate when the user’s command is recognized, and a customized, gesture-based control pad could permit different motions, like spinning a dial, to give dynamic control of electronics. Further, such a control could let users make purchases on a home shopping channel or transfer of data from one system to another.

Synaptics will make the concepts integrated into Boomerang available to interested OEMs. (For more information, contact Synaptics at 408-454-5100 or e-mail info@synaptics.com.

Richard Comerford