lvaro Cassinelli, Stphane Perrin, Masatoshi Ishikawa

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Smart Laser-Tracking for Human-Machine Interface
Álvaro Cassinelli, Stéphane Perrin, Masatoshi
Ishikawa Ishikawa-Namiki-Laboratory Parallel
Processing for Sensory information University of
Tokyo
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I. The problem
Todays approach
UI WIMP alphanumeric input I/O Device
touch sensitive screenstylus
Input and interaction with ever-shrinking
portable electronic devices
physical interaction
nice input space is merged with viewing space
Next step ?

• remove the need for any physical I/O space at
  all
• remove the need of any additional input device

? ergonomics-independent miniaturization
() windows, icons, menus and pointer
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How to remove the input space?
(non-invasive techniques!)
...By providing the PDA with intelligent sight
- hand/finger position
- handwritten character recognition

• gestures recognition, etc

low/medium/high level vision
drawbacks

• May require intensive computation
• Not enough robust
• Sensitive to external illumination
  conditions/backgrounds...

in a word passive-vision input versatile but not
mature yet
and in any case overkill for the problem at
hand! (inputspace-less WIMP)
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Closer look at the problem

• Hand/finger closer than anything else...
• fingertip always visible (no occlusion) ...
• fingertip shape simple and stable ...

what a short-sighted PDA actually sees
proximity sensor... ...angular information
should provide sufficient data for tracking!
animal antenna
-gt cost-efficient, ROBUST and FAST!
cane for the blind
...cumbersome?
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The proposed antenna a directive beam of light
Additional advantages - active lighting
provides and control illumination (modulation,
wavelength, spatial structure). - real-time,
precise 3D measures (telemetry) - measurement of
surface roughness, speed, etc (including
biometric data!).
And...
- laser can be used as output device (on any
external surface, including the retina VRD)
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... but how realistic is the integration of a
LASER RADAR on a PDA?
VERY! Thanks to todays MOEMS technology
The realm of MOEMS (micro-opto-electro-mechanica
l systems) Electronic circuit, photodetectors,
laser diodes sources and mirrors integrated in
the SAME chip.
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II. Smart Laser Scanner Prototype
Hardware (discrete components)

• laser diode,
• a pair of steering micro-mirrors,
• single non-imaging photodetector.

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Tracking Principle
smart laser scanner
laser excursion is locked around the area of
interest
circular laser saccade
Tracking sequence repeated every millisecond.
kHz refreshing rate explains algorithmic extreme
simplicity
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Prototype Smart Scanner in Action
Speed (3m/s)
Precision (cm)
multi-tracking (up to four fingers)
see more at both 102
Interactive laser annotation
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3 DOF (using fingertip)
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a little farther away
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Simultaneous tracking
(up to four targets without hardware duplication)
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Several users
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unique user, higher DOF
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Achieving 6 DOF (using three tracking points)
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Fast 3d tracking of a ping-pong ball
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Laser interactive writing
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UIs based on this 3D Input Device Proof-of-princi
ple examples
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3D locator
X/Y/Z translation
Gestural command
RIGTH CLICK
LEFT CLICK
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Example simple control of video content
Positional command
X/Y translation
ZOOM ()
Gestural command
ZOOM (-)
Forwards (one frame)
Back (one frame)
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Positional command
X/Y translation
Frame position ()
Gestural command
Frame position (-)
Zoom x2
Zoom /2
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Conclusion
The problem design a 3D input device that does
not interfere with technological miniaturization
Proposed solution use laser antennas to track
one or more fingers.
Advantages fast (no image processing), precise
3D measurements, Insensitive to external light
conditions, can be used as output device.
Problems no haptic feedback (just like passive
vision). However, it can be provided as visual
cues (light intensity, color), or by using
kinesthetic cues (i.e. vibration) on the hand
holding the hand-held device.
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Possible Applications
prototype demo
? The proposed interface enables interaction and
data input by just executing bare-hand gestures
in front of the portable device.
real 3D gesture recongnition
? No dedicated input space the proposed
human-machine interface can be embodied in a
keyboardless wrist-watch.
? Coupling this interface with a projective
display will remove the need of any real
interaction area (for viewing or inputting).
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Features
Applications
Simultaneous finger tracking
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Youre welcome to booth 102 for a live demo of
this system
URL
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Ishikawa-Namiki Lab UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
Ishikawa-Namiki Lab
UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
Ishikawa-Namiki Lab
UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
...a laser-based human-computer interface capable
of tracking simultaneously one or more fingers,
as well as acquiring their respective 3D
coordinates in real time.