Cybernet's Gesture Recognition Technology Selected by NASA; Makes Touring International Space Station a Virtual Reality; Kiosk Takes Users to New Heights - Outer Space

Business Wire, May 2, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 2001

Ever dreamed of touring the International Space Station? At NASA's new Bioastronautics Exhibit at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, visitors will soon be able to lead their own virtual space station tours by commanding a computer with a series of simple hand gestures. Cybernet Systems, an Internet research and development company in Ann Arbor, Mich., announced today the pairing of its patented gesture recognition technology with NASA's Virtual Astronaut software. The resulting exhibit kiosk takes Cybernet's technology for enhancing human interaction with a range of electronic devices and couples it with software that enables the public to explore space without ever leaving earth.

The gesture-controlled kiosk is being delivered to the Johnson Space Center this week; the Bioastronautics Exhibit is scheduled to open to the public in August 2001.

"Cybernet's gesture recognition technology observes human hand motions and interprets gestural signals in order to control devices," says Anthony J. Comazzi, Cybernet's vice president of business development. "This space station kiosk is just one of many potential applications for the technology. We believe that gesture recognition will ultimately provide a viable alternative to physical contact or remote controls for issuing commands to a variety of electronic devices."

Cybernet created the space station application in response to NASA's request for an educational outreach device that would capture the attention of children without the use of a keyboard or a mouse. By building its gesture recognition technology into the computerized kiosk, Cybernet allows users to "move" throughout the space station's interior via hand gestures. Visitors point a finger, move a hand around a designated area or open and close a fist to manipulate space station doors and viewports, or to request more information; the user never has to touch the computer screen.

"We want the kiosk to help the public understand the purpose of our science and our mission, and how it relates to life on earth," says Stacey Morrison, deputy chief information officer, Space and Life Sciences Directorate at the Johnson Space Center. "Because users interact with the computer through gestures, we won't have to worry about broken parts or a dirty computer screen during the exhibit. And because gesture recognition is a new computer technology, it adds to the futuristic sense of the exhibit."

To date, Cybernet's gesture recognition technology has been successfully incorporated into interactive computer gaming peripheral devices and game enhancement tools, such as the UseYourHead(TM) software product.

"With the customer delivery to NASA this week, Cybernet is paving the way for additional kiosk-based solutions, as well as a number of additional applications as gesture recognition can be incorporated into many other computer and non-computer based solutions," Comazzi noted. "Imagine being able to drive up to an ATM machine and complete your transaction by waving your hand in front of a window. Customers might experience fewer out-of-order machines if kiosks no longer required physical contact."

For more information about the Bioastronautics Exhibit, contact Stacey Morrison at stacey.e.morrison@jsc.nasa.gov. PC users can also visit NASA's virtual astronaut Web site at http://virtualastronaut.jsc.nasa.gov.

About Cybernet Systems

Cybernet Systems Corp. is a profitable, rapidly growing technology-based company focused on developing products that combine software and Internet intelligence with human-machine interaction. Cybernet has successfully leveraged its wealth of intellectual property to bring force feedback technology to market in the form of game controllers and joysticks, introduced a line of Linux-based Internet appliance software, and launched a PC game enhancement software product. The company continues to innovate in the areas of Internet medical systems, large-scale distributed network training and gaming and gesture control interface technology. Additional information on Cybernet Systems is available on the web at www.cybernet.com.