What is gesture recognition?

Gesture recognition is a branch of computer vision and human-computer interaction. It is a type of perceptual user interface that recognizes and captures human gestures and motions.

Gesture recognition refers to the ability of a computer to make out gestures and understand motion. The information or data gathered in this way may be used to execute further commands.

It is important to note here how the word gesture is defined in this field. It can refer to any nonverbal communication, such as verbal cues and voice commands, that intends to convey information to the computer. This gesture can also be a physical movement, big or small.

Process

The following points summarize how gesture recognition works:

• A sensing device is used to gather information from its surroundings. The device conveys this information to a computer. The sensing device may use infrared or UV sensors to analyze its surroundings.
• Specially designed software analyzes the gathered information. The software recognizes meaningful movements and compares them with a preset library of meaningful gestures.
• The software interprets the gesture and uses the preset library to find the meaning of the newly gathered data.
• After recognizing the gesture, the corresponding command is executed.

Applications in the industry

Gesture recognition softwares are commonly used in the gaming industry. Using skeletal and facial tracking in addition to gestures and voice allows the designers to offer more features in the games and interactive software. The specialized software can create a virtual 3D image of its surroundings.

Outside the gaming industry, gesture recognition has also permeated into many other interactive experiences.

• Many stores these days use gesture recognition for retail engagement. A common example is a software that shows you what a piece of clothing will look like on your body.
• Gesture recognition also has applications in the medical industry. Gesture-controlled robots assist surgeons in performing surgeries that require the kind of precision a shaky human hand may not be able to maintain.
• Some cars and futuristic vehicles have also incorporated gesture recognition. You may tap or swipe to get your windshield wipers working or your heater to turn off.
• Gesture recognition has also found use in sign language interpretation. This technology can recognize signs made by hand gestures and convert them into readable text or hearable sounds.