Smartphones enable Gesture Control

The rapid spread of powerful and inexpensive sensors on mobile devices and the ‘bring your own device’ trend are opening up new possibilities in the industrial user interface sector. Instead of using buttons, switches, or other classical interfaces to enter data on machines or devices, manufacturers are looking for opportunities to implement cost-effective and flexible user concepts based on tablet PCs.

“Our teams have already realized modern HMI concepts on a variety of mobile devices for numerous manufacturers,” explains Dr. Michael Sturm, spokesperson for the current proof-of-concept project group for ‘Smart Multi-Axis Control.’

“Our new study shows that tablets and smartphones are no longer just being used as classic input devices. We use the smartphone’s gyroscope and accelerometer to achieve a new method of controlling multi-axis systems. The added bonus: Most humans are capable of intuitive and precise hand-eye coordination, which means it is possible to learn to properly control the device in just a few minutes. The test we carried out with visitors at the trade fair substantiates this.”

From App to Embedded System

The small robotic arm controlled by a smartphone app was already turning heads at the Berner & Mattner booth at the Embedded World event. It was not only promoting the innovative use of consumer hardware on the basis of industrial HMI solutions, but also flying the flag for the wide spectrum of development competence at Berner & Mattner. All components were developed by Berner & Mattner, from the smartphone app to the Java-based server, from the controller of the robotic arm to MESSINA, the platform for the model-based testing of control devices and HiL real-time applications.