Dean Bubley is getting excited about putting motion sensors in phones. I think he is right to get excited. If you’ve followed my blog long enough, you will recall various postings on this topic. My favourite idea a while back was to use motion sensors to navigate a web page using a “peep hole” interface. I once went as far as trying to patent the idea and talking to the likes of Gyration about the cost/power characteristics of motion sensors (their “air mouse” is still one of my favourite gadgets). I also thought about “dragging and dropping” content directly from my mobile to my desktop, dragging the content through the air!

I am an advocate of alternative user interfaces for P2P messaging, “avatar chat” being one of them. Avatars can do things, besides just chat. They can hug each other, slap each other on the back, shake hands, even blow a raspberry! Motion sensors could translate real physical movements into actions. Motors and gyros can also be used to create movement in the recipient’s handset, which is what haptics is all about.

Think of the hours of fun to be had with a virtual version of ball-bearing maze!