Patent hints at Apple Vision Pro getting new head gestures in the future

4 months ago 34

Apple recently announced a major firmware update coming to the latest AirPods Pro, which enables new head-shaking gestures to answer or reject calls more discreetly. Now it seems that the company is also working on similar head gestures for Apple Vision Pro, at least based on a new patent.

New head gestures for Apple Vision Pro

The company has filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a new system to control “a device setting using head pose.” In the examples shown by the patent, the user would be able to turn their head to control things like the brightness level and volume of the device.

“Based on head pose changes, the scalar quantity of the device setting and the position of the indicator on the slider may be updated. The direction of movement may correspond to the direction of movement of the indicator in the slider,” the patent reads. The description says that the technology was developed for a “head-mounted device.”

As noted by The Mac Observer, Apple could include this technology in the Apple Vision Pro as a new way of controlling the device – perhaps as an accessibility feature. Currently, visionOS already lets Vision Pro users point to elements of the interface with the movement of their head.

iOS already includes accessibility features to control the interface using head movements. And with iOS 18, users can even rely on eye tracking to navigate the screen.

Patent hints at Apple Vision Pro getting new head gestures in the future

Of course, it’s worth noting that Apple is always filing new patents and not all of them see the light of day. Even so, it’s nice to see that the company is committed to developing new ways for users to interact with their devices.

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