Back in 2013, rumors began surfacing of a potential Apple iRing motion controller for iOS devices. Now, at CES 2014, the iRing has become a reality. Unfortunately, the device is not made by Apple but by IK Multimedia, a music technology firm that has an history of creating content for the Apple operating system.
According to The Register, IK Multimedia is showcasing the iRung as MDI controller and has an SKD available with a free licensing program to encourage development in other areas like gaming, fitness and household controls. At CES, accompanied by music making applications, the company has been showing off its potential as a gaming controller with "Pong" for the iPad.
While it's a decent game controller, the iRing FX/Control app features its own audio effects processor with a palette of 16 to chose from. The Control side of the app will allow users to channel their ring's movements to Audiobus or Inter-App Audio compatible software and can even be routed to a host computer using WiFi. This will allow DJs to cross audio and fade beats in and out between trakcs.
The iRing works by relying on the camera on the iPhone or iPad to detect movement and the dot patters on the product itself not only enable two separate controllers to be applied to each hand simultaneously, but enable precise tracking of location thanks to volumetric positioning algorithms within the iRing FX/Control app. This allows more than just lateral X,Y movements of According to The Register, the Z axis can be picked up by the camera allowing for another range of depth and control. This makes the controller capable of using its six parameters, three on each iRing face, for six levels of control.
Tell us what you think, do you see potential in controlling your Apple mobile device using some rings on your hand? Do you see the musical benefits of the app and its control? Comment and share your thoughts on this new innovation from IK Multimedia at this year's CES 2014.
