The idea
Point at a consenting nearby phone to send a selected tactile pattern for quiet coordination at a restaurant, convention, or on a film crew.
How it works
- Participating phones opt in and establish a nearby session.
- The sender points; supported Nearby Interaction hardware provides relative distance and direction to help choose a peer.
- The sender selects the target and triggers a chosen pattern on the recipient’s phone, without a sound or screen alert.
AI’s role: Map a short intent to a known haptic pattern; measured ranging and direction identify the nearby peer for the sender to select.
First demonstration
At a table, opt in three nearby phones, point to select one of two recipients, and send three distinct patterns. Repeat with phones in pockets and partly obstructed.
What to solve next
How reliably can pointing distinguish a person when aim is ambiguous, a phone is pocketed or obstructed, or the app is backgrounded?