The Apple Watch may be able to detect hand gestures without relying on touch in the future, by monitoring the veins within the wrist of the user to determine how the hand itself is moving. In a patent granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office titled “Vein scanning device for automatic gesture and finger recognition,” Apple proposes taking a look at the veins within a user’s wrist as a way to determine what actions are being performed on the same hand.
It is suggested the filing could apply to more than gestures on an Apple Watch, as it could assist with other activities. It is suggested the system could be used for input commands in AR or VR applications, a concept that would eliminate the need to wear gloves, and could provide more control over a device like Apple Glass without adding much extra hardware.
Apple files numerous patent applications on a weekly basis, but while the existence of patent filings indicate areas of interest for the company’s research and development efforts, they do not guarantee the concepts will appear in a future product or service.