In simple terms, electromyography records the activity of so-called skeletal muscles. Obviously, the most important application is in medicine, diagnosing diseases and asisitiendo the development of different types of prostheses. However, someone had the idea that an electromyographic device installed on the arm of a person can be used as an interface to control gadgets, interpreting the signals from the muscles. That someone is Microsoft Research, who has a couple of years working on the project, and received confirmation of the patent during this week. Is this the ancestor of a "super-Kinect" futuristic?

What will the interfaces of the future? What kind of interaction with the devices we expected to be launched in the coming years? We are in a period governed by the touch interfaces, but even they have their limits, and inevitably find them. Gestures and movements have been exploited and exploited in several ways. The Wiimote, PlayStation Move and Kinect successful are three examples that while outside the world of mobile devices, have also made a great contribution. The chorus Kinect sales is based on that "you are the driver." The Kinect interprets gestures and movements, but how that interpretation would be to conduct a deeper level? Behind every gesture and movement is muscular reactions and electrical signals. Could it a read and convert those signals directly?



Perhaps not in the short term, but Microsoft Research is working on it since at least March 2009, when he presented at the time an application to register a patent for a "EMG-based controller." This controller would be able to interpret the electrical signals from the user's muscles. The signals would then be transmitted to a computer or other device; through a physical or wireless connection, and converted to the corresponding commands. One of the examples in the patent shows a kind of band that the user is placed in the arm, but have also explored other formats such as sweatshirts and glasses.

As always in these cases, we can not deny the possibility that the patent remains in a drawer for several years without generating any practical device commercially available, but the reason behind the patent is not so farfetched. Imagine for a moment to combine the ability to detect an accessory such as the Kinect, electromyographic. As an example, think of the moves you make when using a mouse. Now remove the mouse, and imagine the same movements in the air or on land. The band electromyographic could interpret each click, double click and "spin wheel" virtual, while an external sensor is responsible for registering the movement. The example just scratches the surface of the potential of such a device. And Redmond already has the patent.

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