Gest, an Austin-based startup, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to manufacture its wearable hand device that replaces a conventional keyboard.
The company first launched in 2014 as AirType out of the Longhorn Startup program at the University of Texas at Austin.
For the past two years, the team has worked to perfect its product. In the process, Gest has produced several prototypes of its device.
“Gest lets you work with your hands in a more intuitive way. Switch between apps just by twitching your finger,” according to the project’s post. “Point at your screen to move the mouse around. Twist your palm to adjust sliders in Photoshop. Rotate a 3D object by literally grabbing it and rotating your hand. You don’t have to think about what you’re doing, just do it.”
Gest also reacts to custom hand gestures that can be programmed into the devices.
And a pair of the devices allows a person to type without a keyboard.
Gest’s device seems to have struck a chord with backers. The project, which launched Wednesday, has so far raised more than $44,000 from 243 backers on the way to accomplishing its goal of raising $100,000 by Nov. 28th. The project has also received coverage in The Verge, Tech Times and MIT Technology Review.
The early bird pricing on the device at $99 sold out. The pair of Gest devices for $199 also sold out. The next early bird pricing on a single device is $149 and $299 for a pair. Gest expects to ship its devices by November of 2016.
The team behind Gest includes Mike Pfister, its CEO, Ben Brown, lead software developer, Sid Srikumar, chief envisioneer and Tim Steckler, hardware expert.
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