Yes, the Apple Watch is capable of running apps but it can’t full-fledged apps like the ones you’d run on a smartphone or tablet. If you own an app-controlled drone chances are you can’t pilot it using the Apple Watch, but researchers in Taiwan have come up with another way to make that happen, and it almost looks like they’re using The Force to pilot the drone. You’ve got to admit that it looks pretty darn cool.
Researchers are PVD+ wrote an algorithm that allows for remotely piloting a drone using an Apple Watch. They have spent 18 months on research and application and are now confident that the algorithm can be installed on any device to give it this ability.
Mark Ven who founded PVD+ in 2013 and leads it currently demonstrated in the video how he uses hand gestures while wearing an Apple Watch to pilot a Parrot AR Drone 3.0. The smartwatch picks up on his gestures and sends appropriate signals to the drone.
Speaking to Reuters he mentioned that the same method can also be used to control a ball, like the BB-8 droid from Star Wars. The team has also demonstrated how lights can be controlled using gestures and an Apple Watch.
PVD+ hasn’t revealed any plans of commercially launching this technology as yet but as a proof of concept it works quite well, and most certainly makes it a very interesting video to watch. Do check it out.
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