Just like how you would control an Xbox Kinect, you may eventually be able to control Google products by moving your hands.
Google has just acquired Flutter, a gesture recognition startup, for an undisclosed amount. Flutter developed apps for Mac OS X and Windows that used a webcam to detect hand gestures and let users control applications like Spotify, Netflix and iTunes without tapping the mouse. The company described its Mac product as Microsoft "Kinect for OS X."
"Today, we are thrilled to announce that we will be continuing our research at Google," Navneet Dalal, Flutter's CEO, wrote on the company
website. "We share Google’s passion for 10x thinking, and we’re excited to add their rocket fuel to our journey."
Google confirmed the acquisition. “We’re really impressed by the Flutter team’s ability to design new technology based on cutting-edge research," a rep said. "We look forward to supporting and collaborating on their research efforts at Google.”
Flutter was launched last year, and raised $1.4 million from Andreessen Horowitz and other investors. The company's existing apps will not be terminated, but it's likely that Flutter's focus will now be Google products.