Laser-based Tracking

Smart Laser-Scanner for 3D Human-Machine Interface
Alvaro Cassinelli, Stephane Perrin, Masatoshi Ishikawa, University of Tokyo, Japan
The problem of tracking hands and fingers on natural scenes has received much attention using passive acquisition vision systems and computationally intense image processing. We are currently studying a simple active tracking system using a laser diode, steering mirrors, and a single non-imaging detector, which is capable of acquiring three dimensional coordinates in real time without the need of any image processing at all. Essentially, it is a smart rangefinder scanner that instead of continuously scanning over the full field of view restricts its scanning area, on the basis of a real-time analysis of the backscattered signal, to a very narrow window precisely the size of the target. The complexity of the whole setup is equivalent to that of a portable laser-based barcode reader, making the system compatible with wearable computers.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• hci
• interaction
• gesture

[heroineworshipper]

ET likes.

[Quentonitron]

Wow! I would pay dearly for one of these. Playing video games would be very interactive with such a system, perhaps with multiple devices using different colors to track multiple parts of the body.

[digivince]

@TheLivirus I'm guessing you just move your finger forward a little bit or in a quick jab. Or if it is tracking both fingers, putting your fingers together could read as a click. This is only a guess though.

[TheLivirus]

@GeoMX A common technique is to have an offset between the laser and the sensor, then measure the angle from wich the light is reflected. Don't know it that is used in this particular case though. I can imagine it to be more complicated once the laser moves around.

The human brain calculates distance through the difference in angle between your eyes. In other words another solution is to have two sensors, or lasers, and calculate the distance through the angle.

[TheLivirus]

How is a "click" defined with this technique?

[beamqlaser]

great. that's amazing. How can you do that ?

[TheWashipato]

Great work!

[bIueviper]

how do you do it?!

[GeoMX]

Your work is really amazing! One question: how do you measure distance to the tracked object?

[HattoSora]

she has a cute voice. XP

[boxa888]

i didnt mean that negatively lol. really awesome technology. the future is right around the corner !!!!!.