WILLIAMSBURG, VA — (Marketwired) — 03/29/17 — Radio-controlled toy racing cars are going to be losing their remotes with the introduction of the first gesture-controlled remote racing car from . Now a cool toy racing car can be intuitively controlled by gestures from the wristband-wearing driver. With a few simple gestures the car can move in all directions, speed up, slow down and stop. The driver has a much more natural and connected driving experience and there is no more bulky controller to carry around. The gesture-controlled car and wristband are now available for pre-sale through Ultigesture–s Kickstarter campaign for $89 (for early birds).
The toy car connects by low power Bluetooth to the slick wristband. When you move your forearm up, the car goes forward, forearm down makes the car go backward. A slight clockwise turn makes the car go right and counter-clockwise makes it turn left. Other gestures make the car stop turning.
“There are plenty of remote-controlled toy cars which are fun to play, but we have discovered that wearing the wristband and using gestures makes for a much more realistic racing experience,” said Gang Zhou, CEO, Ultigesture. “The user experience is really improved by literally putting your body — or at least your arm — into the driving. It is very exciting to feel like you are connected to this small toy car as it goes racing down the street!”
To interpret the gestures and communicate with the car, the Ultigesture team of computer scientists and engineers created the unique, sensor-packed wristband. The band contains three essential sensors to help control the car: accelerometer (motion sensor to recognize the range of movement and control speed of car), gyroscope (to detect the angle of the forearm), and magnetometer (to determine orientation and compass). In addition, the wristband includes a microcontroller with machine learning code so the car can understand what you want to do. LED lights on the outside window provide notifications regarding battery and power status.
The Ultigesture gesture-controlled smart toy racer includes:
Unique, 13-inch long, 500g (17 ounces) racing car in black or gold (will be six colors)
Car can drive at speeds up to 13mph
Sturdy casing will withstand bumps and falls
Battery with 30 minutes of play time, 2-3 hours charge time
Wristband in two colors (black & white)
Optional Android app uses tilt motion to control the car
“We want to make remote control racing cars that are really cool and intuitive. With the wristband and gestures, it is amazing how much closer you feel to the car — especially when you compare it with using a remote controller,” said Zhou.
Ultigesture is based in Williamsburg, Virginia, home of William & Mary and the university where the company computer scientists have studies. The company focuses on developing an intuitive gesture-based user interface for the internet of things. The Ultigesture gesture-controlled smart toy car is the company–s first product. For more information, visit
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Erica Zeidenberg
Hot Tomato Marketing
925-631-0553
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