Myo is a gesture control armband developed by Thalmic Labs. Although there are a few similar gadgets that use gestures of hands and fingers, some in production and some in prototyping phase, still the Myo is a one of a kind device.
Myo has already created a buzz, from the likes of Steve Wozniak endorsing the product as a cool device and one that should be out in the market to ordinary folks who have tested it and have had a wonderful experience. Myo would find its use in diverse domains. It will certainly be a key addition to gaming consoles. It would also be useful in several industries where access to digital interfaces need to be upgraded for better control. Myo is essentially a bridge between the real and virtual worlds. Any smart device can be hooked with the Myo and one can use a whole range of hand and arm motions to use the device to control virtual features.
The standard box of Myo would contain a Myo armband which comes in black or white, a standard Micro-USB cable, a Bluetooth adapter for Windows and Mac connections and a set of ten sizing clips for the Myo to be a perfect fit on the user’s forearm. There is also a Myo Market for apps. The circumference of the armband ranges from 7.5 inches to 13 inches or 19 cm to 34 cm; it weighs about 93 grams and is 0.45 inches thick. Myo is compatible with Windows (operating systems Windows 7 and above) and Mac with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and above. Myo is also compatible with iOS 7.0 or higher and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and higher.
Myo uses hand gestures detected by proprietary EMG muscle sensors which are essentially highly sensitive motion sensor. The tiny pods are loaded with medical grade stainless steel EMG sensors, highly sensitive nine-axis IMU containing three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer, three-axis magnetometer, dual indicator LEDs and are powered by an ARM Cortex M4 Processor. The device has a built-in lithium ion battery that can be recharged using the Micro-USB port. The device can run for a day after it is charged completely.
Myo has already been tested on the field and is currently in production. One has to wait and see how the general audience (not the tech wizards) reacts to this wonderful gadget.
