Gesture Desk – An Integrated Multi-modal Gestural Workplace for Sonification

Abstract

This paper presents the gesture desk, a new platform for a human-computer interface at a regular computer workplace. It extends classical input devices like keyboard and mouse by arm and hand gestures, without the need to use any inconvenient accessories like data gloves or markers. A central element is a “gesture box” containing two infrared cameras and a color camera which is positioned under a glass desk. Arm and hand motions are tracked in three dimensions. A synchronizer board has been developed to provide an active glare-free IR-illumination for robust body and hand tracking. As a first application, we demonstrate interactive real-time browsing and querying of auditory self-organizing maps (AuSOMs). An AuSOM is a combined visual and auditory presentation of high-dimensional data sets. Moving the hand above the desk surface allows to select neurons on the map and to manipulate how they contribute to data sonification. Each neuron is associated with a prototype vector in high-dimensional space, so that a set of 2D-topologically ordered feature maps is queried simultaneously. The level of detail is selected by hand altitude over the table surface, allowing to emphasize or deemphasize neurons on the map.