Helsinki-based startup Doublepoint has raised €3 million in funding. The round saw participation from FOV Ventures, Superangel VC, Superhero Capital, Sune Alstrup, Timo Rein, Business Finland, and others. The startup has developed a patent-pending software platform that enables zero learning-curve gesture recognition for Android-based hardware devices, such as smartwatches, XR devices, and consumer electronics. Doublepoint uses an extremely sensitive, mechanically-based sensor in a smart wristband to detect movement, position, and microvibrations, without requiring expensive optical cameras or LIDAR sensors. The funding will be used to expand the team and further develop their technology.
Doublepoint™ Oy is an innovative new startup that emerged today from stealth after spending the last 3+ years developing a patent-pending software platform enabling intuitive, zero learning-curve gesture recognition.
Designed specifically to work flawlessly in a range of Google Android-based hardware devices for Augmented Reality, CE and more, Doublepoint is now officially open for business with a range of worldwide hardware OEMs and ODMs.
Doublepoint currently offers a highly-advanced machine learning algorithm that accurately detects touch-based microgestures, including pinch, surface interactions and more. It is also capable of ray-casting. This is all accomplished using generic smartwatch sensors and minimal compute cycles from their embedded CPU.
Hand position and movement in devices can be measured in many different ways, including wristbands, rings, RADAR, LIDAR, and cameras. Initially focused on gesture-enabling off-the-shelf smartwatches as well as XR devices, Doublepoint aims to solve the most vexing input problems in the most simple way. This is accomplished by using an extremely sensitive, mechanically-based sensor in a smart wristband to detect movement, position and microvibrations.
With Doublepoint, no expensive optical cameras or LIDAR sensors are required. Doublepoint’s wristband-based technology instead focuses on the VIBRATIONS that occur only when you touch something – a far simpler, far more inexpensive and far more robust offering than other, optically-based solutions. Several videos demonstrating the power and simplicity of Doublepoint’s technology may be watched at www.doublepoint.com.
In addition to algorithmic programming solutions, the company also plans on providing custom hardware designs that are dedicated to – and optimized for – touch detection. Doublepoint does offer a free Touch SDK, which turns existing smartwatches into actual input devices and provides it as a download on the company’s website.
“We first founded Doublepoint under the stealth name of ‘Port 6’ to keep our competitors guessing and under the sole focus of gesture-enabling AR devices. We have since found a ready and eager market in smartwatches as well as XR and we have finally revealed our production name, full funding and full mission. We are extremely grateful to our VCs for the most recent influx of capital and their supreme confidence in our team, technology and vision,” said Ohto Pentikäinen, CEO of Doublepoint Oy.
Doublepoint Oy is a new startup developing software to turn smartwatches into next-generation gesture input devices for Augmented Reality, consumer electronics, and more. Initially focused on bringing this low-effort, tactile, and zero learning-curve interactions to Android Wear OS-powered smartwatches, Doublepoint uses the built-in sensors to monitor tendons and vibrations and does not require any computer vision sensors outside of the watch.
