Augmediated reality system based on 3D camera selfgesture sensing

Three-Dimensional (3D) range cameras have recently appeared in the marketplace for use in surveillance (e.g. cameras affixed to inanimate objects) applications. We present FreeGlass™ as a wearable hands-free 3D gesture-sensing Digital Eye Glass system. FreeGlass comprises a head-mounted display with an infrared range camera, both connected to a wearable computer. It is based on the MannGlas™ computerized welding glass, which embodies HDR (High Dynamic Range) and AR (Augmented/Augmediated Reality). FreeGlass recontextualizes the 3D range camera as a sousveillance (e.g. cameras attached to people) camera. In this sousveillance context, the range camera is worn by the user and shares the same point-of-view as the user. Computer vision algorithms therefore benefit from the use of the range camera to allow image segmentation by using both the infrared and depth information from the device for 3D hand gesture recognition system. The gesture recognition is then accomplished by using a neural network on the segmented hand. Recognized gestures are used to provide the user with interactions in an augmediated reality environment. Additionally, we present applications of FreeGlass for serendipitous gesture recognition in everyday life, as well as for interaction with real-world objects (with and without gesture recognition). A plurality of FreeGlass units can be used together, each sensor having a different spreading sequence, or the like, so that a number of people can collaborate and share the same or similar Augmediated Reality space(s).