A hand gesture interface device

TLDR

The device centers on a glove that integrates multiple sensor technologies. This paper reports on the development of a hand‑to‑machine interface device that provides real‑time gesture, position and orientation information. The glove uses analog flex sensors for finger bending, ultrasonics or magnetic flux sensors for position and orientation, piezoceramic benders for tactile feedback, all mounted on a lightweight glove and connected via a small cable to driving hardware. The glove enables real‑time 3‑D hand modeling for object manipulation, finger‑spelling interpretation, hand‑impairment evaluation, and interfacing with a visual programming language.

Abstract

This paper reports on the development of a hand to machine interface device that provides real-time gesture, position and orientation information. The key element is a glove and the device as a whole incorporates a collection of technologies. Analog flex sensors on the glove measure finger bending. Hand position and orientation are measured either by ultrasonics, providing five degrees of freedom, or magnetic flux sensors, which provide six degrees of freedom. Piezoceramic benders provide the wearer of the glove with tactile feedback. These sensors are mounted on the light-weight glove and connected to the driving hardware via a small cable. Applications of the glove and its component technologies include its use in conjunction with a host computer which drives a real-time 3-dimensional model of the hand allowing the glove wearer to manipulate computer-generated objects as if they were real, interpretation of finger-spelling, evaluation of hand impairment in addition to providing an interface to a visual programming language.