According to a recently discovered patent, as spotted by LetsGoDigital, Google is seemingly developing wearables that can respond to skin gestures around the device.
The patent, titled “Skin interface for Wearables: Sensor fusion to improve signal quality,” would allow users to control their wearable devices, such as the Pixel Buds and Pixel Watch, via drawing on their skin rather than directly touching the device itself, so long as the technology actually makes it to those devices.
Similarly to how you can already control volume and media playback on the Pixel Buds wireless headphones through gestures on the device, Google’s skin gesture technology would allow users to use the same gestures on a larger area of their skin around the wearable device, potentially proving more control and ease of access.
While the technology in Google’s patent may sound rather groundbreaking, and definitely exciting, surprisingly, it’s not actually all too new, as Sony has already pipped them to the punch with their recently released LinkBuds wireless headphones.
Priced at £149.00, Sony’s open-backed in-ear headphones feature skin controls to play and pause media, skip tracks, and change the volume, as well as an “always-on” listening experience thanks to their holey design.
Unfortunately for those who’re excited by this patent from Google, there’s currently no word on just when it might be implemented into their range of wearable devices, so we’ll just have to wait and hope for now.
