8 - Interfacing through Visual Pointers

Summary

Abstract

A key issue in advanced interface design is the development of friendly tools for natural interaction between user and machine. In this chapter, we propose an approach to non-intrusive human-computer interfacing in which the user's head and pupils are monitored by computer vision for interaction control within on-screen environments. Two different visual pointers are defined, allowing simultaneous and decoupled navigation and selection in 3D and 2D graphic scenarios. The pointers intercept user actions, whose geometry is then remapped onto the environment by a drag and click metaphor providing dialogue with a natural semantics.

Introduction

In the last few years, a huge effort has been made towards building advanced environments for human-machine interaction and human-human communication mediated by computers. Such environments can improve both the activity and satisfaction of individual users and computer supported cooperative work. Apart from some obvious implementation and design differences, virtual reality [255], augmented reality [309] and smart room [235] environments share the very same principle of providing users with a more natural dialogue with (and through) the computer with respect to the past. This is obtained through a careful interface design involving interface languages mimicking everyday experience and advanced interaction techniques.

Recently, the simultaneous growth of computing power and decrease of hardware costs, together with the development of specific algorithms and techniques, has encouraged the use of computer vision as a non intrusive technology for advanced human-machine interaction.