Gestures

Dr Ian Ricketts and Dr Stephen McKenna presented their team's work on gesture recognition to the British Association science festival in Glasgow. The gesture recognition system for use inside cars could one day not only make life easier for its owners but significantly safer too.

The system being developed uses cameras inside the car that observe and detect the tiniest of movements to trigger actions like turning up the radio and turning down the heating. By recognising pre-programmed movements the system allows you to control everything without taking your eyes off the road. So sensitive is the system that if you fall asleep behind the wheel this new technology recognises that too and takes the necessary action.

The system uses a screen positioned above the dashboard that responds when you point at it. This new screen will eventually negate the need for a dashboard in its present form. Ss car manufacturers develop more and more extra features, the system will be capable of handling them.

Future applications could include the potential for predicting a car's manoeuvres based on learned knowledge of the driver and so helping in everything from overtaking to parking.

This technology isn't just about making driving safer or even easier for those already behind the wheel. Consider the difference in quality of life such a system could bring to the disabled or elderly when installed throughout an entirehouse. 22% of the worlds population will be over 60 by the year 2050 with one in three over 60 in Europe. Any technology that will enable the elderly to maintain their independence is likely to be in huge demand.

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