Multitouch gestures are an important part of iOS. The iRing expands gesture detection beyond the screen. As the software that brings gesture detection to life gets better, I expect we’ll see more of these hardware assistive devices. Just as the Xbox One and PS4 use a camera to aid in gesture detection, the iRing helps the user communicate with music software.

iRing was demoed using an app called “iRing Music Maker,” which lets users set grooves, synthesizers, loops, filters and more with just two rings.

In the setup we tested, the triangular-patterned ring attached one hand and controlled grooves and tones by “pushing and pulling” along the z-axis, toward and away from the iPad’s camera. The second ring with linear dots was worn on our other hand and triggered loops and different notes in the same way. All control was accomplished without ever touching the device.

I wonder if a watch can be used to aid in gesture detection. I’m sure someone is looking into this.