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Hands free

Soon Microsoft Kinect will be able to track exact finger movements

A new system from Microsoft, named Handpose, is able to track finger movements under a range of conditions.

handpose Microsoft Research / YouTube Microsoft Research / YouTube / YouTube

WHILE IT HASN’T exactly taken off with gaming, Microsoft’s motion sensing device Kinect has found better luck with the numerous projects and hacks taking advantage of its cameras and sensors.

That also extends to Microsoft’s own research division, which is showing off some of the developments it has made with Handpose – a method used to fully track finger movement under a range of conditions.

The system used is able to reconstruct complex hand poses using only one camera. All tracking is done by Kinect’s depth sensor, not the camera, meaning it can still work even when the lighting changes and when the person is far away.

Hand movements Microsoft Research / YouTube Microsoft Research / YouTube / YouTube

Probably the most impressive element is it doesn’t require a person to be in a specific position. Even when the camera or person is moving erratically, it is still able to track the hand and pick up finger movements.

While the possibilities of this system being used for games is high, but it could also be used for computer interaction, or maybe a system where you combine it with Oculus Rift (a VR headset) and play a truly immersive game.

MicrosoftResearch / YouTube

Read: Getting an SD card to increase phone storage? Here’s what you need to know >

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