Meta’s New Miracle Computer Bracelet

St. Croix Times Staff

Silicon Valley - Meta’s Reality Labs has unveiled a sci-fi inspired bracelet that translates hand movements into computer actions. This wearable device reads electrical signals from wrist muscles, allowing users to control computers with gestures. 

Researchers at Meta have developed this wristband that translates your hand gestures into commands to interact with a computer, including moving a cursor, and even transcribing your handwriting in the air into text. The wristband could make today’s personal devices a lot more accessible to people with mobility or muscle weakness, and even unlock new ways for people to control their gadgets effortlessly. 

The bracelet requires no invasive procedures or personalized calibration, making it easy to use for a wide range of people. Its ‘deep learning models’ improve accuracy as more users interact with it. 

With Bluetooth connectivity, the wristband can transcribe handwriting at a rate of nearly 21 words per minute. It holds promise for people with disabilities, amputees, and anyone seeking more intuitive computer control. 

The Reality Labs Team describes its sEMG-RD (surface electromyography research device) as a wristband which uses sensors to translate electrical motor nerve signals that travel through the wrist to the hand into digital commands that you can use to control a connected device. Those signals are essentially your brain telling your hand to perform actions you’ve decided to carry out, so you can think of them as intentional instructions. 

With the sEMG-RD you can not only control an onscreen cursor in a one-directional mode (like a laser pointer), but also navigate through an interface and select items using finger pinches, thumb swipes, and thumb taps. You can even enter text by mimicking handwriting at a decent 20.9 words per minute. 

Meta’s new direction highlights practical, futuristic tech after the company’s shift away from the Metaverse.