Tap Systems, a Los Angeles, CA-based startup made headlines when it introduced futuristic wearable keyboards last year. Now, the company has released Tap Strap 2, a new wearable device with AirMouse feature that enables users to control devices such as iPads and smart TVs using hand gestures. Anybody wanting to try out this innovative device can order it via Amazon or TapWithUs.com for $199.
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“Tap Strap 2 completes our vision for interacting with our devices entirely through gestures, without needing to touch screens or dedicated surfaces,” said Dovid Schick, Tap Co-founder and CEO. “For the first time, this futuristic way of controlling technology is available on the mobile, laptop and desktop devices that we use every day.”
The Tap Strap 2 AirMouse is a standard Bluetooth device, and does not require any software drivers or calibration. As an AirMouse, it has three user-selected modes of operation:
- Mouse Mode: Allows users to control a cursor, click and scroll just like they would with a standard mouse.
- Multimedia Mode: Where users can play, pause, adjust volume and move to the next or previous track.
- Smart TV mode: Users can navigate menus, select items and search for content. All of this is accomplished with simple, natural hand gestures.
The device uses onboard intelligence to automatically know what interaction the user intends. When a user’s hand is horizontal, Tap Strap 2 becomes a keyboard. When the thumb rests on a surface, it seamlessly switches to optical mouse mode. And when the user’s hand is rotated vertically, Tap Strap 2 will switch gears yet again into AirMouse mode, Tap said in a press release.
Tap Strap 2 also has several design improvements from the original Tap Strap wearable keyboard, including a new thumb ring glider, 10 hours of battery life, and improved mouse optics designed for up to 1,000 dpi sensitivity.
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The company said it will extend this capability in the future to support other gesture-based operations such as, gaming and controlling AR and VR devices. Tap is also designed to work with blind and disabled people.
