Google Acquires Flutter: Will Android Smartphones, Chromebooks And Search Become Hands-Free?

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) on Thursday acquired Flutter, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based tech startup that builds touchless gesture software, for an undisclosed sum. The Flutter system connects with a computer's webcam, allowing users to control programs by waving their hands.

Flutter software currently supports iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, Spotify and VLC. A downloadable extension for Google’s Chrome Web browser provides support for websites like Netflix, YouTube and Pandora. Unlike other gesture technology, Flutter doesn’t require any additional hardware.

“We’d like to extend a special thank you to all of our users; your feedback and evangelism inspire us every day,” Flutter CEO Navneet Dalal wrote on the website. “We share Google’s passion for 10x thinking, and we’re excited to add their rocket fuel to our journey.”

It’s unclear what Google will do with Flutter, but the Mountain View, Calif.-based search engine giant has recently put a big emphasis on voice search, object recognition, facial recognition and biometric scanning. Flutter could be used for hands-free searching, or even incorporated into Chrome for a completely hands-free Web browser. There are also obvious applications for Chromebooks, Android smartphones and Google Glass.

You can download Flutter right now for $4.99 for Mac or PC to give it a try.

Have you used Flutter? Are you excited to see what Google will do with it? Let us know in the comments.