Gesture Recognition To Make Typing Keypad-Free!

Mr. Pranav Mistry had stunned the world when he presented his invention of sixth sense technology at TED event at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  His invention was based upon gesture recognition technology which relies on computer vision and image processing. These invention kick-started efforts to make the use of computer more convenient and easy. Many computer scientists are working hard to see a day when we will use computers, other systems and mobiles without any mechanical devices. The mode of operation will be gesture of our body parts (mostly hands and face gestures).

Mr. James Cannan, a bionics researcher and PhD student at the School of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Essex (as stated by www.silicon.com) is working on a similar project (as the sixth sense technology) the aim of which is designing a bracelet which tracks the movement of our fingers through the use of electric pulses that are generated when we make any movement of our hand. Mr. Cannan wants to make use of virtual keyboards so that people can point at the keys and after making a specific gesture the desired operation will be performed. Mr. Cannan’s technology is based on a process called electromyography (EMG). The process tracks down electric pulses by using electrodes attached to the bracelet. As the signals generated in our body are extremely weak, they are amplified to about 1000 times and then they are sent to a computer or mobile or any other device via wireless transmission. He also plans to add accelerometers and gyroscopes to this bracelet so that the device can track gesture made in 3D space.

The project is in development mode and he has achieved 90% accuracy in recognizing some basic movements. The idea of a virtual keyboard has been tested by USA’s space agency NASA too. NASA had developed a virtual numeric keypad which works on the same principle. Mr. Cannan also plans to use acoustic myography along with EMG which is a process to recognize movements through the use of sound of contraction of muscles.

This technology will bring the digital world and the physical world closer. I think the difficulty is in designing  highly efficient cameras which can track your movements or gestures rapidly and respond quickly. Maybe in few years we will have smartphones with integrated cameras to provide face recognition .