Hand Gesture Recognition and Infrared Information System

The discontinuation of remote controls and physical switches in favor of gestures could improve user experience in entertainment and hospitals but can also be potentially beneficial for people with impaired cognitive function or physical disabilities. This paper investigates a method of controlling infrared capable devices using hand gestures. IR signals from any controller device are captured by a receiver and mapped to a hand gesture for reference. A camera is used to capture a video stream which is then processed for hand detection. On a positive result, the detection is stopped and a tracking algorithm is applied. This maps the position of each joint of the hand and recognizes any predefined gestures. Thereafter IR signals are broadcasted using an emitter based on the recognized gesture and signal reference.