App Development for Electronics: Sensors, Virtual Reality, and Machinery

Futuristic movies showed its viewers what it would be like to interface with machines with just our hands or our voices, but this wasn’t simply a dream that was conceptualized without consultation of software development experts. These producers took the time and explored a variety of electronics and in effect set up a benchmark for the future. Consumer electronics are also testing these concepts with society as automation and semi-automation has become a growing opportunity for enterprise management and maximizing productivity. Virtual reality and new sensor technologies have progressed to the point where the scenes in movies are actually being achieved.

Consider telemedicine software development, where a physician consulting for a patient can review patient’s X-Rays or paperwork. By bridging app development with electronics, providers can remotely view image files and videos typically maintained at the machinery. New displays implemented in healthcare examination rooms can receive and interpret hand gestures to flip through the papers or rotate X-rays on a monitor while standing over a patient, saving valuable time and increasing the quality of patient care. This technology is already in practice in the healthcare industry, serving as one example of the numerous possibilities of the utilization of hands-free applications with the help of electronics.

Upcoming software to utilize movement by utilizing micro-sensors have been successfully designed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Similar to the popularized Kinect, this sensor can track hand gestures and its accuracy is extremely precise. The applications of being able to accurately model your actions, down to your finger movements, are endless. Users can immerse themselves in a virtual reality environment and work remotely by using a virtual keyboard to work from a location that could be thousands of miles away. Soon, end users will have the ability to virtually control game characters, create and participate in 3D animations, and even engage with physical entities like robots.

Speech Recognition (SR) technology has had to hurdle over deciphering our phonemes and morphemes and is finally bringing hands-free interactivity to devices, automobiles, and making headway in military applications. It’s matured from the first releases of SR software, and companies like Verizon and Comcast have planned implementation of these well-received apps into their television services, and could soon replace remote controls! Utilizing SR could prove to be a more natural way to issue commands and search records.

The onset of new implementations of electronics for consumer and industry needs bring the need for electronics to be optimized for long-term use in mind without leaving toxic waste byproducts and planned obsolescence. Increasing environmental awareness has helped to curb these problems and optimize energy consumption.

With these new apps and growing capabilities for smartphones, the future is very bright in the electronics sector of technology and there is great potential for new applications.