Recognition of simple gestures using a PIR sensor array

Wojtczuk, Piotr; Armitage, Alistair; Binnie, David; Chamberlain, Timothy

Abstract

We present an approach that is intended for simple gesture control using a relatively inexpensive pyroelectric array detector. The detector is manufactured using standard wafer processing techniques. It consists of a 16 element passive infrared sensor array that responds to changing infrared signals, such as are generated by a hand moving at a distance of some tens of centimetres in front of the array. There is quite a large variation in the responsivity of the pixels within the array, but despite that it is relatively easy to use differential signals from the array or to apply a simplified version of an image processing algorithm to track movement in front of the detector. We have developed a prototype system that can recognise hand movements in different directions in front of the detector. This has allowed us to develop a demonstrator system that can be used to control, for instance, a PowerPoint presentation by gesture.

Citation

Wojtczuk, P., Armitage, A., Binnie, D., & Chamberlain, T. (2012). Recognition of simple gestures using a PIR sensor array. Sensors & transducers, 14, 83-94

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2012-03
• Deposit Date: Apr 30, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: May 16, 2017
• Print ISSN: 1726-5479
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Pages: 83-94
• Keywords: Touchless interfaces; Dynamic hand gesture; Gesture recognition; Infrared motion sensors; Passive infrared sensors
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/5228
• Publisher URL: http://www.sensorsportal.com/HTML/DIGEST/P_SI_183.htm