Intuitive Interaction with VR Applications Using Video-based Gesture Recognition

This paper describes the implementation od a deviceless interaction 'device' using hand gesture recognition within a calibrated stereo system. Video-based interaction is one of the most intuitive kinds of Human Computer Interaction with Virtual Reality applications due to the fact that users are not wired to a computer. If interaction with three-dimensional environments is considered, pointing, grabbing and releasing are the most intuitive gestures used by humans. This paper describes a video-based gesture recognition that observes the user in front of a large displaying screen, indentifying three different hand gestures in real time using 2D feature classification and determines 3D information like the 3D position of the user's hand or the pointing direction if performed. Different scenario applications like a virtual chess game against the computer or an industrial scenario have been deployed and tested.