A system for recognizing shape, position and rotation of the hands

After the experience of the Aerial Painting Hands system [1] developed in our Lab in Pisa, a new system based on real-time image understanding techniques has been developed; it greatly enhances the expressive possibilities of a performer and makes his presence on stage more elegant. Now, the performer moves his/her hands in a video-camera capture area, the camera sends the signal to a video digitizer card plugged into a computer and the computer processes the mapped figures of the performer' hands and recognizes x-y positions, shape (posture) and the angle of rotation of left and right hands. Data extracted from the image analysis every frame are used for controlling real-time interactive computer music and computer graphics performances.