Technology

Doublepoint’s Wow Mouse is gesture tech on steroids

white man wearing a watch with a green screen

When Apple presented the Double Tap feature on the Apple Watch last year during the Apple Event, it quickly stole the show. However, it soon became apparent that Double Tap lacked the customizability that would make an exciting feature truly revelatory.

Maximizing the potential of gesture tech is what Doublepoint Technologies hopes to demonstrate at CES 2024. The Helsinki-based startup has developed some impressive use cases of gesture technology, taking the concept to a whole new level. Doublepoint’s latest offering, the “Wow Mouse” app for Android watches, stands as a testament to their innovation. This app not only allows users to control their devices with intuitive gestures, but also brings instant Bluetooth connectivity to a range of devices, including phones, tablets, and computers.

A inforgraphic of a black smartwatch with three led light eminating from the center of it.
The algorithm includes pinch and hold and is robust to arm movements. Credit: Messner Media Group

Hands-on with Doublepoint

The team at Doublepoint was kind enough to run us through a demonstration at CES Unveiled. Of the two demos, the most impressive was the light control. While wearing the watch, you can dim the brightness of the lamps by rotating your wrist. There is almost no lag in the feedback between the light control and the users’ movements. You can turn on the lamp by pointing at it and turn it off with a flick of the wrist. The other demo involved using the gesture movement combined with the XReal headset.

Man in green shirt points at an unlit lamp

A demostration of the Doublepoint’s advanced gesture tech at work. Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable

Man in green shirt points at now fully lit lamp

All you need is a simple flick of the wrist. Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable

Additionally, one of the cooler features of the Douplepoint set was a watch that tracks the pinch movements of the user. The display is a simple loading bar that gradually loads up depending on how much force you’re applying to your fingers.

white man with a wrist watch on.
Doublepoint says no one else in the game is doing tech like this. Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable

The key to Doublepoint’s success lies in their newly updated gesture detection algorithm, now fully compatible with WearOS smartwatches.

Ohto Pentikäinen, the CEO of Doublepoint, said their algorithm is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing products, allowing developers and manufacturers the opportunity to enhance user experiences without the need to start from scratch.

At CES Unveiled, Doublepoint not only showcased its “Wow Mouse” app but also showcased its latest iteration of core software which introduces Human Interface Device (HID) support. This new feature allows for stationary pinch and hold gestures, a breakthrough in wrist-based device control, offering a more immersive and intuitive user experience.

Doublepoint also announced the preorders for their Doublepoint Evaluation Kit, a package that includes a wristband, advanced algorithms, and evaluation tools. This kit is a boon for companies looking to embed the Doublepoint gesture detection algorithm in their products.

Mashable