We have been seeing a lot of devices that are touch and gesture enabled that can be very helpful for people with various disabilities (motor skills, spinal injuries, quadriplegics). However, all the devices that we have seen so far work with computers.

That is soon going to change.

A Tel Aviv based company, PointGrab, is working on bringing to the masses a couple of concepts that use motion and gesture controls not just with computers but also with household appliances! The technology works by creating a “transparent space” in front of the user, enabling a touch interface but from a distance. The user has to be pointing their eyes and a finger at the device and perform a gesture to get the desired action. For example, pointing a finger at a lamp will turn it on, and moving it in a downward motion will dim the lamp. Similar gestures can be used to control any device in the house – air conditioners, window shades, thermostats, doors, etc. PointSwitch is the concept that works with appliances, and AirTouch works with computers, televisions, and other consumer devices.

The company suggests that we should start seeing these technologies in consumer products as soon as early 2014.

Watch the following two videos to see how PointSwitch and AirTouch work.