Flow extends control over your devices increasing productivity

People are familiar with using a mouse or a touchscreen to control their devices, however, Scenic are looking to extend your control over your devices with their new physical and gesture control device, Flow. Combining physical controls with gestures they are hoping to create a new experience to let you command your devices.

[Image Source: Senic]

The Flow device works in three different ways. The owner can tap on the top of the device, use the metal ring in a rotation fashion and also float their hand over the device where Flow picks up movements and translates these into actions. Haptic feedback comes into play when the ring is rotated and this allows the user to feel incremented movement that are precise. Any of the actions can be customised to the user's needs to perform many different types of actions and commands.

[Image Source: Senic]

An example of this would be for the user to swipe their hand over Flow if they wanted to skip through music on their device. The ring could be rotated and this could zoom in and out when working on a design in computer software such as Photoshop. Perhaps rotating the ring when working with video editors could work as the jog wheel. The possibilities of Flow are dependent on the imagination of the user and the device is intended to replace the use of the mouse and touchscreens.

[Image Source: Senic]

At the moment, Scenic offers support for many apps along with devices and they will be adding more as time progresses. Currently, Flow will work with apps such as Pandora, Photoshop, Spotify and Arduino. It doesn’t matter if the app that you use isn’t officially supported as the platform is an open one. This will allow programmers to be able to support Flow when it has been released. The success of the device is largely influenced by the creativity and uses of consumers.

[Image Source: Senic]

The hardware of Flow consists of using Bluetooth LE for communication between the gadget and the computer (or any other device). Only Mac computers will be supported when the device is first released, however, the team behind it are working on support for Android, iOS, Linux and Windows computers, phones and tablets. The battery in the device can be replaced and the designers say that it should last for around four months.

[Image Source: Senic]

Flow is on Indiegogo at the moment and the developers are looking to raise US$50,000. The campaign has managed to raise a lot of interest and supporters meaning it is already halfway towards its target. If you want to get your hands on Flow, you can pledge US$99 and if all goes well, the device will begin shipment in June 2015.

The technology is not completely unique and will face stiff competition from the likes of Microsoft's Kinect and also the Leap Motion.