Gasp! One of those hand-to-mouth gestures could be a showstopper in the pressroom.

A prototype interface technology allows print processes to be controlled by eye and hand movements alone.

The concept makes its newspaper debut on the stand of control systems developer ABB at the World Publishing Expo in Berlin in October.

Marketing chief Steve Kirk says the system is the latest prototype from its research centre in man-machine interfaces. Never before seen in the newspaper industry, it allows a process to be controlled by eye and hand movements alone and could change the way systems are operated in a wide range of industries.

ABB will also explain its latest modular retrofit solutions at the show. These allow the life of a newspaper press to be extended and include drives, controls, control console and press management system replacements.