At CES this year, Samsung announced a new line of gesture-controlled TVs.  As shown in the video after the break, the user can open up a web-browser on the TV simply by speaking a command and then using hand gestures to move the mouse cursor.

Based on the video, the software looks pretty choppy and not ready for prime-time just yet.  I’d be surprised if this model sells very well if it is supposed to represent a production-ready release.  For one thing, there seems to be a lag in the response rate.  Also, the gestures simply emulate a traditional mouse cursor, only take a lot more work than using a wireless keyboard with touchpad.  I fully expected a CES debut like this to include iOS-style web browsing.  Fortunately, connected TV’s allow for easy updating of software.

Assuming Samsung (or any other television manufacturer that follows suit) makes gesture controls more intuitive and quicker to respond, I can see churches adopting this technology in a few ways.

Worship services

It might take some creative brainstorming to see how gesture-controlled televisions would impact worship in a positive way.  However, I think it could be done, and done well.  During a recent children’s sermon I showed pencil drawings I had previously created to the kids to illustrate a point.  As I flipped through each drawing on my iPad I talked about what it meant.  The feedback I immediately got from the congregation was “next time, show that to us on the projection screen!”  Great idea – but now take that and expand it to using gesture controls to manipulate the images.  The point stays the same, but the “cool factor” goes up tremendously!  For high-tech preachers, how about using gesture-controls to bring up a video illustration on the screen?

Church Meetings

The implications here should be pretty straight-forward.  A facilitator could use gestures to control a presentation without having to be stuck behind a computer or even hold something in his/her hand.  If you think “Minority Report” for a minute, you might imagine a presenter manipulating a pie chart with their hands by pulling out one piece of the pie, expanding it, and showing more details.

Bible Studies

Similar to church meetings, Bible studies and small-group formats could use this technology to enhance learning.  Imagine if the concept was applied to a Bible-study software program.  A map of the Holy Land is displayed on-screen, and somebody (teacher or student) manipulates the map using gestures to zoom in and see close-up images.  Perhaps even a simple gesture would bring down a graphical overlay like a sidebar that has bullet-point details about the image.

What else can you think of?