Motion sensitive
The cornerstone of the latest must-have products from Apple’s iPhone to Nintendo’s Wii handheld gaming controller, is a tiny device called ‘the accelerometer’. It measures acceleration! Now, UK telecoms company BT have applied the technology to create a ‘motion-sensing’ laptop. The BT Balance device removes the need for a keyboard or mouse and aims to make computers more accessible and user-friendly.

Adam Oliver, head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Age and Disability programmes at the company, led the project to develop the BT Balance concept. Inspired by the needs of people like his mum who have never heard of Microsoft Windows or Bill Gates, Oliver’s team wanted to create a computer that is so simple, ‘anyone can use it’.

He says, ‘As we get older, complicated user interfaces become more of a problem both in terms of remembering how they work and manual dexterity. If you are in a situation where you can't use the mouse or keyboard, there's a lot that can be done with movement and gesture. The world of Nintendo Wii has opened up a lot of interest in computers you can move.’

Plug and go
Oliver says, ‘You plug in the BT Balance device to a USB port on your portable computer. The computer system recognises the device and allows you to tilt the computer to access the items on the menu, such as “open” or “close” a book.’ You can tilt the computer to the left or right to navigate through the pages of the book. The pages fold over in an animation which gives the feeling of using familiar print material rather than just a computer interface.’

The team has also demonstrated its use with a photoviewer and navigating a map. As Oliver says, ‘Not everyone wants to move a whole computer, so we're looking at a more remote operation. If you have grip problems then a smaller device or a separate palm device would be more beneficial.’