Samsung has patented a smartwatch that uses gesture controls

Patent applications from Samsung suggest the company is looking at moving beyond the touchscreen for its next wearable device. Spotted by blog SammyToday, the eight patents draw a picture of a smartwatch that uses a wide array of different sensors to accept interface options. These include a touch sensor built into the wristband, a processor to interpret mid-air gestures made in front of the camera, even the ability to recognise specific movements made with the hand the wearable is on.

Samsung’s wearable devices could include gesture recognition in the future, according to one of a number of recently-published patent applications. Listings on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website suggest the company is looking into ways to add gestures to its smart watch, not only through the movement of the device, but also by recognizing actions close to it. Using the example of the Gear 2, the filings spotted by SammyToday suggests the smart watch could use its built-in camera to detect specific hand actions and movements, such as forming a fist, performed by the free hand. By using the camera, this would in theory allow the wearer control of the smart watch without covering up the screen with their fingers, an issue specific to touch-screen devices.