Region-based modeling and tree edit distance as a basis for gesture recognition

Towards developing a gesture-based interface for human computer interaction (HCI), we propose a method which represents the shape of a hand as the union of a set of identically parameterized (disk-shaped) regions. Connectivity between the disk shaped regions is then imposed to allow for the accurate modeling of the hand. Signatures for gestures are then generated based on minimizing the edit distance between the model (consisting of both the disks and a connectivity-preserving tree structure) obtained from image frames acquired at successive time instants