Forget the remote control... it's too limited. Let Softkinetic's technology allow you to change those channels with just a flick of the hand!

For consumers who hate remote controls (or seem to lose them in the dreaded Black Abyss), Softkinetic and Orange Vallée may have the solution: Keanu. The new interface combines Softkinetic's iisu software technology with Orange Vallée's knowledge in media user interfaces, with the end result transforming consumer televisions into an interactive, device-free experience controlled by simple hand and body gestures.

"The old remote control is too limited to browse the thousands of channels or access rich services like photos and games that are available on today’s connected TVs," said Jean-Louis Constanza, CEO, Orange Vallée. "Softkinetic’s innovative technology is changing the dynamic of interactive TV and offering unlimited potential in the future of entertainment."

As if yanked straight out of The Matrix or The Minority Report, the Keanu interface allows consumers to change channels, make keyword searches with a virtual keyboard, click icons and links, control the volume or drag, drop, and zoom images using real-time body movements and gestures. Softkinetic's iisu middleware relies on advanced 3D depth-sensing cameras, and is ideal for living rooms because its highly accurate sensing abilities allow it to "eliminate interference from background images and distinguish individuals from a group."

Specifically, iisu provides the following functionalities: scene calibration, scene image filtering, isolation of the user’s body and removal of other disturbing elements in the scene, such as furniture, walls, objects and other people, identification and tracking of the user’s body parts (head, hands, legs, torso, center of mass, etc.), movements, and other contextual information, 3D avatar representation, and inverse kinematics and gesture action packs. According to the company, the iisu middleware platform supports all available 3D depth sensing cameras, and a Software Development Kit (SDK) is currently available for developers of Interactive Digital Entertainment, Fitness Equipment and Industrial Applications.

But as for the Keanu interface, neither Softkinetic or Orange Vallée offered a valid street date. Instead, Softkinetic's CEO offered praises over the joint venture. "Consumers want an easier and more intuitive experience when it comes to their television and Keanu is the first application to address this," said Michel Tombroff, Softkinetic’s CEO. "We’re excited to partner with Orange Vallée and be a part of the future of consumer electronics"

With touch-screen interfaces and motion-sensing technology invading mobile devices, desktops, businesses and entertainment systems, it looks as if the digital age has transformed into something more. Welcome to the Interactive Age.