When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works

Home / News / Bixi is a smart motion controller straight out of Minority Report

Bixi is a smart motion controller straight out of Minority Report

Skip a song, get the lights, call your mum - all by waving your paw

Yawn. Another gesture control gimmick.

OK, we’ll admit it: touch-free device control is no new pursuit. Bixi, though, is a bit different. It plays nice with a host of smart home kit, such as Philips Hue bulbs, Sonos systems, Nest and more, pairing through your smartphone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to send instructions bouncing around the house.

Isn’t it a bit Jean-Michel Jarre? You know, with the lasers?

Not lasers – optical sensors. Bixi takes highly precise light measurements to figure out what your hand is doing, so that it can convert your mid-air motions into commands for your kit. From swipes to waves to air-taps, it’ll compute a host of gestures; simply load up the relevant profile and it’ll figure out whether you want to pause a song or dim the lights. It gets better with age, too, thanks to machine learning smarts.

But I’ve got an Amazon Echo – who needs to wave, when you can speak?

Actually, a lot of people. Can you take your Echo on a bike ride? Thought not. Even if you strapped a Dot to your frame, you’d have to shout pretty loud. Stick a Bixi on your handlebars, though, and you can wave to do all sorts. Pair it with a GoPro, for example, and in one smooth sweep of your palm you can start recording, without the faff – and fear – of going hands-free to fiddle with its buttons.

Won’t the cables get in the way whilst I’m whizzing down the road?

It’s battery-powered, obviously. In fact, it’ll last a whole month on a single charge. Like a puppy, it spends a lot of time sleeping – only waking when it detects a stable paw hovering above it. The partner app shouldn’t sap your smartphone’s cell, either, thanks to its use of Low Energy Bluetooth.

Can I take it swimming?

We’re not sure why you’d want to, but no, you can’t. Bixi does, though, have some rugged credentials up its smart sleeve. It’s splashproof – perfect for waving whilst washing up – and packs a Gorilla Glass frontage for ham-fisted gesturers. Which is good because, with such a dinky shell, you’ll be wanting to take it everywhere.

Maybe I’ll try one, then…

You can’t – yet. What you can do is put your dollar down for a Bixi over at Indiegogo and, all being well, you should get it in March 2017. The project has already received more than four times its original funding goal – so things are looking good.

Get a Bixi at Indiegogo here

Profile image of Chris Rowlands Chris Rowlands Freelance contributor

About

Formerly News Editor at this fine institution, Chris now writes about tech from his tropical office. Sidetracked by sustainable stuff, he’s also keen on coffee kit, classic cars and any gear that gets better with age.

Areas of expertise

Cameras, gear and travel tech

Enable referrer and click cookie to search for eefc48a8bf715c1b 20231024b972d108 [] 2.7.22