HMI - movement that controls your computer?

Not your mother's HMI

Wow. Human machine interface (HMI) is what we use to interact with our machines, such as computers or industrial machinery, or video games. Normally, we're talking a keyboard, a mouse, maybe a pen devise if you're a super geek like me. But imagine your movements controlling the computer. Can you imagine for a moment?

I know what's going through that pretty little head of yours. Your thinking about those science fiction movies where the guy has his whole body wired up and electrodes all over his body. Or at least the weird silvery gloves with electrodes all over them. But, no. I'm talking about a real motion HMI. They call it gesture based HMI and it's different than the Wii, where you have a remote in your hand. This is just your hand (or whatever it's programmed for).

This is some futuristic cool super geeky stuff I'm talking about. But, it's not science fiction... it's real, it's here, and it's not even that expensive. I found a real scientist from Texas A&M University. Dugan Um, the researcher and developer of gesture based HMI units that basically use really sophisticated 3D cameras to communicate movement to computers. Check it out here.

The name of the company is Dinast and they manufacture and sell HMI systems that include the software. I told you I was going to write about stuff that I obsess about, and this is going to be one of them.

Free Samples By Mail

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My first post has to be about my current obsession. Finding free samples by mail. I love it. It's the thrill of the hunt, the execution of the form, and the thrill of getting stuff in the mail. The whole process appeals to me.

But, the first part - finding the best offers online, used to be hard. But now I know the best site for free samples by mail is definitely surf4freebies.com.   There's really no comparison.  Although I can't help myself... I still search and look.

I work for surf4freebies.. so it's almost like cheating for me to go to another freebie site. But, I can't help but at least look. And when I find an offer that I think is good, I try to get the same or better for the surf4freebies site.

Regardless... it has become an obsession. My new therapy shall be to write on this blog. And I'm NOT going to always write about getting free samples by mail either. Sorry, but I need to have a life too. But... darn - it is soooo fun looking for companies that are willing to give out great samples by mail just for giving them an address and a chance at impressing me.

Anyway. Today is supposed to be a day off. So, I'll just end this particular post here and come back tomorrow (during work - shhhhhhh ;)) and post again.

Love ya.