January 17, 2011
Microsoft’s Kinect technology looks like a success, and it looks like Apple and other groups close to Apple are going to tease us with rumors about remote gesture controls in the next version of the iPad, but let’s not forget that gesture-sensing tech was born with proximity sensor research in the 1919-1920 period, the best known application being the musical instrument developed by physicist Lev Sergevich Termen (a.k.a. Leon Theremin).
(I couldn’t find a date of this film, but obviously pretty old.)
He also developed the precursor to Dance Dance Revolution & The Walking Piano (check it out if you don’t believe me) — the Terpsitone — and the Rhythmicon.
A video of the last Terpsitone in action is available here.