Microsoft's researchers have been investigating on a technology that enables users to interact with a device, such as a mobile phone without touching it.

Such technology reminds us of Nokia's patent filling for ultrasonic transducers, which would be used as radars to identify gestures, and translate them to actions on the actual phone. Microsoft has chosen to use infrared sensors which can detect fingers that are up to 10 centimetres away.

The sensor can translate gestures into scrolling, simple mouse movements, dragging, rotating, or change the size of the images on the display. According to New Scientist "When photos become larger than the tiny screen, people reported feeling that they were touching the imaginary edges of the photos."

The prototype only runs at 11fps, but it is still in development to increase speed and smoothness.

A video demonstrates the technology, SideSight, on a modified HTC phone, after the break.

[via New Scientist]