3D pointing gesture recognition for human-robot interaction

In this paper, a pointing gesture recognition method is proposed for human-robot interaction. The pointing direction of the human partner is obtained by extracting the joint coordinates and computing through vector calculations. 3D to 2D mapping is implemented to build a top-view 2D map with respect to the actual ground circumstance. Using this method, robot is able to interpret the human partner's 3D pointing gesture based on the coordinate information of his/her shoulder and hand. Besides this, speed control of robot can be achieved by adjusting the position of the human partner's hand relative to the head. The recognition performance and viability of the system are tested through quantitative experiments.