At ANGA COM 2013, ruwido (stand H21) will display its range of design-focussed next generation input devices. In response to the continuously growing amount of content available through individual TV service offerings, the company will also demonstrate how voice can be integrated effectively into navigation techniques in order to make content intuitively accessible.

According to forecasts by industry analysts at Informa, there will be 836 million smart TVs in homes around the world by 2017 as manufacturers increasingly offer some level of smart functionality across their TV ranges. “Smart TVs offer a wider choice to users in terms of greater connectivity and what is available to them to watch on demand. However, whether these are accepted or not is highly dependent on the usability and accessibility of services. Generally speaking, navigation has to be a natural and a positive experience and must not stand in competition with TV content,” says Ferdinand Maier, CEO of ruwido.

To meet the growing demands in terms of intuitive navigation, ruwido france S.A.R.L. – as a scientific research institution – focuses on new ways of interaction. While some of them may sound revolutionary, results have shown that they have to be integrated gradually, as the living room is a place for evolution but not for revolution.

“Gesture control, for example, has been a success for gaming, but our research has shown that this is not the case for navigating television. For finding exactly what you want to watch from a library of thousands of options, voice control will work in addition to haptic feedback. The physical element is – and will remain – essential for navigation and browsing through lists or databases. That is why multimodal remote controls present the most suitable method of control, search and navigation within comprehensive TV offers like those of Smart TVs,” says Ferdinand Maier.

ruwido will demonstrate its r117 device at this year’s ANGA COM. The r117 combines the best of voice with a patented interaction mechanism. For the search of known content within large libraries, the integrated voice control is particularly suitable. A patented interaction mechanism of the navigation ring provides haptic feedback, by scrolling through unknown content; adapting to the needs and wants of the user.

Also on display are the latest design solutions for innovative input devices. ruwido’s mono architecture represents the highest manufacturing quality and visionary ideas. The slim body of the input device is formed out of one solid piece of high quality material, offering a new dimension of optic and haptic pleasure. Emotional, monolithic design as well as exquisite materiality used, emphasizes the aesthetics of the device as one single piece of material. The solid body of the remote fuses latest technology with innovative design. Adapted to the wants and needs of the customers the material used can be varied from sleek black plastic to precious wood or even exquisitely brushed aluminium.

For demonstrations of the r117 remote control device, as well as the company’s portfolio of industry-leading input solutions, please visit ANGA COM, stand H21.

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