Gesture Prediction Using Wearable Sensing Systems with Neural Networks for Temporal Data Analysis

Sensors (Basel). 2019 Feb 9;19(3):710. doi: 10.3390/s19030710.

Abstract

A human gesture prediction system can be used to estimate human gestures in advance of the actual action to reduce delays in interactive systems. Hand gestures are particularly necessary for human⁻computer interaction. Therefore, the gesture prediction system must be able to capture hand movements that are both complex and quick. We have already reported a method that allows strain sensors and wearable devices to be fabricated in a simple and easy manner using pyrolytic graphite sheets (PGSs). The wearable electronics could detect various types of human gestures with high sensitivity, high durability, and fast response. In this study, we demonstrated hand gesture prediction by artificial neural networks (ANNs) using gesture data obtained from data gloves based on PGSs. Our experiments entailed measuring the hand gestures of subjects for learning purposes and we used these data to create four-layered ANNs, which enabled the proposed system to successfully predict hand gestures in real time. A comparison of the proposed method with other algorithms using temporal data analysis suggested that the hand gesture prediction system using ANNs would be able to forecast various types of hand gestures using resistance data obtained from wearable devices based on PGSs.

Keywords: artificial neural networks; data gloves; gesture prediction; thin graphite films.