Apple Future Installments May Be Able To Detect Colors And Textures From Physical Objects

Apple Pencil has the potential to experience significant developments. such as recognizing colors (photo: x @kirsch_calvados)

JAKARTA - Apple continues to innovate with its hardware technology, and this time Apple Remote has the potential to experience significant developments. Based on the latest patent recently approved, Apple may present an Apple Remote with the ability to detect the color and texture of physical objects, providing a much more interactive and creative experience for its users.

In 2019, Apple first filed a patent for an Apple Pencil equipped with a built-in display that would allow users to see the colors to be applied for. This idea is intended so that users can find out what color to use before scratching a pen or brush on the iPad screen.

In 2023, Apple continued its development by filing a new patent entitled "Electronic Device With Optical Sensor For Sampling Surfaces" (Electronic Transport with Optical Sensors for Surface Sampling). This patent includes sensor capabilities at the tip of Apple Remotes that can detect and copy colors from physical objects in the real world.

Once the patent is approved, Apple provides more details about this new functionality. One of the important features mentioned is the ability to press the tip of the stylus onto the surface of the object to identify and copy its color, both from the iPad screen and from a real object. "Floam censorship can be used to sample colors from the surface of an external object," Apple said in the description of the patent.

To detect colors, Apple explains that the color sensor on this stylus will be equipped with several light detectors which will each measure light based on a given color channel. In addition, this sensor is also equipped with a light emitter whose spectrum can be adjusted during color measurements, based on measurements of the surrounding light color. This allows for more accurate color measurements in various illumination conditions.

However, this innovation is not limited to color detection. Apple also lists potential texture detection features, which allow Apple Pencil to analyze the surface of physical objects. "Strength measurements and/or other measurements related to object appearance can also be made," Apple explained. Measurements of this texture use light bouncing at a certain angle on the object's surface to detect its surface characteristics.

Even though this patent has been approved, there is no guarantee that Apple will soon launch an Apple Pencil with this feature in the near future. Apple does often apply for hundreds of patents every year, and many of them are not necessarily realized into commercial products.

If this technology is really applied to future products, artists, designers and users of other Apple Pencils will be able to take advantage of this tool in a much more creative and dynamical way. With the ability to copy colors and textures from the real world, Apple Pencil can be a revolutionary device that brings the experience of drawing and designing to a higher level.

Apple continues to show innovation in each of its products, and the possibility of Apple Remotes detecting colors and textures is proof of the company's vision to integrate technology with human creativity. However, we still have to wait to see if Apple will actually release this version of Apple Pencil, or whether it will remain one of the many patents stored for the future.