Kuo: Apple AR Headset to Feature Advanced Hand Gesture Controls and Object Detection
Apple's long rumored AR headset is predicted to include multiple highly sensitive 3D sensing modules in order to offer an innovative hand gesture and object detecting user interface, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a new research note obtained by MacRumors.

We predict that the structured light of the AR/MR headset can detect not only the position change of the user or other people’s hand and object in front of the user's eyes but also the dynamic detail change of the hand (just like the iPhone's Face ID/structured light/Animoji can detect user's dynamic expression change). Capturing the details of hand movement can provide a more intuitive and vivid human-machine UI (for example, detecting the user's hand from a clenched fist to open and the balloon [image] in hand flying away).
Kuo describes the ability for the headset to detect both hand gestures and movements to provide the user with an immersive experience where the user could open their hand to let go of a virtual balloon.
In order to accomplish this impressive feat, Apple is expected to incorporate four sets of 3D sensors which are of higher quality and specifications than the current iPhones. Kuo sees the quality of this human-machine user interface as the key to the success of Apple's upcoming AR headset. According to Kuo, these interface abilities include gesture control, object detection, as well as eye tracking, iris recognition, voice control, skin detection, expression detection, and spatial detection.
Earlier this year, Patently Apple pointed out a patent application from Apple titled "Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interfaces for Interacting with Three-Dimensional Environments," which details this same concept.
Different movements and locations of the micro-gestures and various movement parameters are used to determine the operations that are performed in the three-dimensional environment. Using the cameras to capture the micro-gestures to interact with the three-dimensional environment allow the user to freely move about the physical environment without be encumbered by physical input equipment, which allows the user to explore the three-dimensional environment more naturally and efficiently.
Apple is widely expected to launch its first-generation AR-focused device in 2022.
Popular Stories
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year.
In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July.
Transparency
In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive.
If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes.
With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID.
If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors.
The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year.
As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors.
Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each.
iPhone 17 Series
iPho...