[weego]

It really won't. Have you any idea how tiring waving your arms around like that would be all day?

There are so many use cases where it doesn't even work that would require a complete rethink of how anything is presented on in internet. For example how about the HN comments where it's pasted as code and it scrolls horizontally. Target that and scroll it with that system. As soon as you have a single use case where a mouse and keyboard is more effective you blow your value.

[rglover]

Hm, maybe. But that was my point with saying interface designers should hop on this: they design the interaction to be simple enough that it doesn't wear you out (at least, that's how I'd look at one facet of designing for this).

Moreover, it's not enough to just copy our current understanding of UI over to a form of input like this. Of course that's the natural inclination, but in reality, interfaces will change and adapt to things like this (meaning scrolling may not exist and a whole new form of pagination may be invented). The "how" is up to the designers.

More than anything, you really articulated my point by saying that "it really won't." You're right: as things stand in terms of interaction, this would become tiring. You just have to think of a way to make it not.

[mr_luc]

I'm familiar with the usual "arm-waving sucks" arguments against gesture-based inputs, but I was just wondering -- is there any reason this couldn't just replace the touchpad on laptops, maybe being integrated into the forward edge for a larger field of view?

They do claim sub-mm accuracy; maybe applications in the small are realistic.

So instead of arm-waving, think of rotating your hand just above the touchpad to rotate and object in 3d space, but briefly. And the touchpad would still work like a regular touchpad, but maybe you don't even need to touch it.

Sub-mm accuracy seems to imply that really subtle gestures could work.

[lucian1900]

Not being able to un-touch your pointing device on your laptop would really suck. It'd have to be mixed with a capacitive plate that knows when you touch it.

[Peteris]

Agree that it can't provide the precision we need for arbitrary complex actions.

Disagree about the physiological concern. Provided your elbows are resting on the table, it would be easy to get used to. Humans would adapt and it would be healthier than our current much talked about static postures.

[muraiki]

Until the compression of the ulnar nerve results in cubital tunnel syndrome, that is... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulnar_nerve_entrapment