Linking devices via a wireless network could be considerably simplified using a 鈥減oint-and-connect鈥� technology being developed by Sony.
The camera-based system, developed by researchers at Sony鈥檚 Interaction Laboratory in Tokyo, Japan, lets users instantly transfer data from a laptop or handheld computer to a device in close proximity connected to the same wireless network.
Researcher Ayatsuka Yuji says the prototype system, dubbed Gaze-Link, removes the need to manually configure networked devices for this purpose.
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鈥淚t is so troublesome, especially when there are many networked devices,鈥� Yuji told 快猫短视频. 鈥淲hen you want to send data in your PDA to a printer, for example, you have to input or to select a correct network address.鈥�
Small sticker
A code displayed on a small sticker attached to each device is identified by the laptop鈥檚 camera. Software running on the laptop then automatically locates the device on the network. 鈥淕aze-Link is one of the challenges to make connecting more 鈥榠ntuitive鈥�,鈥� Yuji says.
Simeon Keates, a computer usability researcher at Cambridge University, UK, says the system could have real benefits if there are a multitude of different devices connected to a network.
鈥淎s the home gets more connected, user overload is going to become more of an issue,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t would certainly be helpful for someone who was nervous of the technology.鈥�
But Keates adds that this benefit will depend largely on the accuracy and reliability of the system. It must also be able to distinguish between different devices stacked next to each other, he says.