'Invisible key' invented by Taiwan scientists

Oct 03, 2011
A team of Taiwanese researchers have developed an "invisible key" technology which allows users to unlock their doors by means of simple hand gestures, the head of the team said Monday. At the heart of the technology developed by his team is a chip that can detect movement in three dimensions.

A team of Taiwanese researchers have developed an "invisible key" technology which allows users to unlock their doors by means of simple hand gestures, the head of the team said Monday.

"In the future, you won't have to worry about losing or forgetting your keys," said Tsai Yao-pin, who teaches at the Technology and Science Institute of Northern Taiwan.

At the heart of the technology developed by his team is a chip that can detect movement in , as used in Nintendo's console, he said.

The technology allows users to easily unlock their doors by repeating a gesture preset in the sensor, according to Tsai.

The "invisible key" won him a gold medal at the four-day Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart which ended Sunday.

He estimated that it make take half a year for the invention to go commercial as several interested companies have approached him.

Explore further: China police billions spell profit opportunity

add to favorites email to friend print save as pdf

Related Stories

Nintendo's 'Revolution' becomes 'Wii'

Apr 27, 2006

Japan's Nintendo announced that its new gaming console -- known during development as "Revolution" -- will be called "Wii" and will be unveiled next month. ...

Mouseless, the 'invisible' computer mouse (w/ Video)

Jul 08, 2010

(PhysOrg.com) -- Mouseless is a computer mouse that allows you to interact with a computer with a mouse in the same way as usual - except that there is no mouse hardware. The researchers call it an "invisible ...

Microsoft Kinect makes moves on computers

Jun 17, 2011

Microsoft on Thursday began letting software developers imbue computers with voice and motion-sensing technology from its Kinect controller for the Xbox 360 videogame console.

Recommended for you

With high-tech guns, users could disable remotely

6 hours ago

A high-tech startup is wading into the gun control debate with a cellphone controller that would allow gun owners to know when their weapon is being moved—and disable it remotely.

Game system castAR debuts at Maker Faire

11 hours ago

(Phys.org) —Two tech talents, formerly employees at video game publisher Valve, have been working on their own vision in the form of game-ready glasses. Their company, Technical Illusions, will seek to ...

China police billions spell profit opportunity

May 19, 2013

Mannequins in riot gear, armoured cars and drones line a police equipment and "anti-terrorism technology" trade fair in Beijing as vendors seek to profit from China's huge internal security budget.

User comments : 5

Adjust slider to filter visible comments by rank

Display comments: newest first

thematrix606
3 / 5 (2) Oct 03, 2011
"In the future, you won't have to worry about losing or forgetting your keys"

You can already install a pincode, avoiding using unnecessary tech for simply opening a door.

The future is now?

Fail logic is fail.
epsi00
not rated yet Oct 03, 2011
what's a pincode or pin code? I googled it and did not get anything useful. Do you mean a lock activated by entering a set of digits? That I know.
NotAsleep
not rated yet Oct 04, 2011
@ epsi, see PIN: Personal Identification Number

It'll be interesting to see how they prevent thieves from taking advantage of this. Hopefully a criminal doesn't just have to mimic the "Unlock Dance" to unlock the door themselves.

This reminds me a lot of GMail Motion:
http://mail.googl...ion.html
CHollman82
1 / 5 (1) Oct 04, 2011
Great, so all someone has to do is observe your gesture with binoculars from a parked car on the other side of the street and they can gain entry into your house next time you leave... fantastic.
CHollman82
1 / 5 (1) Oct 04, 2011
Biometrics anyone? It won't be long before all you have to do is touch a surface and a mechanism will sample your DNA from the skin flakes you leave behind to help confirm your identity. Or better yet simply speak your name and your voice and the contents of your breath as exhaled onto the microphone will be analyzed to determine your identity...

More news stories

Game system castAR debuts at Maker Faire

(Phys.org) —Two tech talents, formerly employees at video game publisher Valve, have been working on their own vision in the form of game-ready glasses. Their company, Technical Illusions, will seek to ...

Green conversion of heat to electricity

Soon, it will be possible to produce electricity from heat over 30 degrees emitted from a waste incinerator, refinery, or data processor. The start-up Osmoblue has just confirmed the feasibility of this new ...

Encouraging signs for bee biodiversity

Declines in the biodiversity of pollinating insects and wild plants have slowed in recent years, according to a new study. Researchers led by the University of Leeds and the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in the Netherlands ...

If you can remember it, you can remember it wrong

(Medical Xpress)—Native peoples in regions where cameras are uncommon sometimes react with caution when their picture is taken. The fear that something must have been stolen from them to create the photo ...

B vitamins could delay dementia

(Medical Xpress)—Despite spending billions of dollars on research and development, drug companies have been unable to come up with effective treatments for dementia and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Now, A. ...

New method for producing clean hydrogen

Duke University engineers have developed a novel method for producing clean hydrogen, which could prove essential to weaning society off of fossil fuels and their environmental implications.