Samsung Files Patent for Drone That Can Be Controlled by Eyes

Samsung has a patent for a drone with a display that can detect the face and pupils of a person in addition to their hand gestures and position. The patent has a unit that features a display at the center with four propellers on each corner.

The patent talks about an integrated drone which will include a camera and an observation system to send information to the main control unit. The system is designed to follow the users’ eyes, head, hands, or fingers in real time.

The drone’s speed and direction in flight can be controlled by moving the head, eyes, or hands. The unit is also planned to automatically track users without any additional gestures.

The patent describes a joint manipulator which can change the flight’s disposition angle. The unit is not limited to a quad-rotor shape; it can be reconfigured to different forms. The display may also include a gyroscope sensor, a motion sensor, a vibration system, and/or an accelerometer.

We have seen quadcopter companies do their best in the recent years to slim down their crafts as much as possible. Samsung’s strategy takes things in completely the opposite direction.

Other features of Samsung's new drone

The patent outlines voice recognition capabilities, as well as GPS and Wi-Fi-based positioning systems as the other functions the drone could have. The patent application was filed in January 2016 and granted on February 13th, 2018, according to The Verge.

There are also joint manipulators and propellers that can change the thrust direction. During the flight, the angle of the display can be adjusted on a small scale. The drone could also have an obstacle detection unit which would let it to automatically detect and avoid structures and other objects while it’s flying.

Advertising is one option

Samsung is thought to have a few ideas in terms of how you might actually use such a flying display. Its cameras and other sensors could allow for gesture tracking, or even using gaze or pupil position to figure out what the user is watching and what aspect of the screen they would like to interact with.

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Using the microphones built into the drone itself, or a remotely connected voice control system are some of the possibilities. The solid lines in the illustrations of the patent are the claimed features. The broken lines show what the rest of the device may look like.

Samsung is not the only company working on drones. Amazon has also patented a group of drone concepts. They include those that can self-destruct in an emergency. It is not certain that Samsung will turn this patent into a product. The company did not immediately comment on the idea.

This device may be fun to have around the house, such as being able to turn one’s head and lift an eyebrow and summon the iPad, it can also be used for things such as advertising. A screen scanning people’s faces and flying directly into their line of sight sounds almost like an internet pop-up ad becoming physical.