New User Interfaces for Mobile Devices Using Augmented Reality: Expanding the Interaction by Intuitive Gesture Recognition

This work started 10 years ago when the first generation of smarter mobile phones was introduced. At that time the author anticipated the limitations in interaction. The dilemma is that mobility requires the devices to get smaller whereas the users demand better interaction. One possible solution would be to create a virtual interface which would not only be easily portable but also provide virtually unlimited display. This book presents the background literature, how other experts addressed the issue and a simple solution to the problem. The system is based on a combination of intuitive gestures, a processing unit with a display and a small video camera. The technologies are ready and quite mature today. Similar systems can be used in various areas. It is therefore very possible that in the next few years something similar will become the next keyboard or mouse in everyone¿s hands.

Dr. Peter Antoniac works as Senior Software Architect in a company dealing with future generation of mobile information devices. He also holds the assistant professorship in the Department of Information Processing Science, University of Oulu. In June 2005 he received his PhD from University of Oulu, Finland.