Fast and accurate 3D gesture recognition interface

A video-based gesture recognition system can serve as a natural and accurate 3D user input device. We describe a two-camera system, that recognizes three gesture classes: two static and one dynamic. For one of these gestures (pointing), the system estimates five parameters of 3D pose: position and pointing direction. The recognition is robust, independent of the user and fast (60 Hz), and the estimated pose is very stable. We describe some of the interface applications that demonstrate the benefits of the system: control of a video game, piloting a virtual reality fly-through, and interaction with a 3D scene editor.