Design and HCI applications of a low-cost scanning laser rangefinder

A low-cost scanning laser rangefinder was developed and optimized for applications involving real-time human-computer interaction (HCI). The usable range extended across several meters, enabling the device to be applied to such applications as tracking hands (e.g., as in touchscreens) in front of large displays. The system was implemented as a continuous-wave, quadrature phase-measuring rangefinder. This thesis will examine the current states of laser rangefinders and discuss the design and function of the prototype system, as well as propose and demonstrate new HCI applications of such a low cost device. Thesis Supervisor: Joseph Paradiso Title: Principal Research Scientist

[1]  Alex Pentland,et al.  Pfinder: Real-Time Tracking of the Human Body , 1997, IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell..

[2]  Joseph A. Paradiso,et al.  Optical Tracking for Music and Dance Performance , 1997 .

[3]  V. Michael Bove.  Pictorial Applications For Range Sensing Cameras , 1988, Photonics West - Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering.

[4]  Ellison C. Urban.  Information Warrior , 1999 .

[5]  Peter Rice,et al.  Stretchable music with laser range finder , 1998, SIGGRAPH '98.

[6]  K. Y. Lau,et al.  Surface-micromachined microoptical elements and systems , 1998, Proc. IEEE.

[7]  Nicholas Ayache,et al.  Artificial vision for mobile robots - stereo vision and multisensory perception , 1991 .

[8]  J. Rekimoto,et al.  Perceptual Surfaces : Towards a Human and Object Sensitive Interactive Display , 1997 .

[9]  J. M. Rüeger.  Electronic Distance Measurement , 1990 .

[10]  Giancarlo Ferrigno,et al.  Autoscan: A Flexible and Portable 3D Scanner , 1998, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[11]  H. Yamaguchi,et al.  Time expanding multihit TDC for the BELLE TOF detector at the KEK B-factory , 1997 .

[12]  P. T. Hurst,et al.  Sources of error in a laser rangefinder , 1994 .

[13]  Takeo Kanade,et al.  DigitEyes: vision-based hand tracking for human-computer interaction , 1994, Proceedings of 1994 IEEE Workshop on Motion of Non-rigid and Articulated Objects.

[14]  A. Gomersall.  Industrial Applications of Lasers , 1986 .

[15]  Jerald Graeme,et al.  Photodiode Amplifiers: OP AMP Solutions , 1995 .

[16]  Alex Pentland,et al.  Real-time self-calibrating stereo person tracking using 3-D shape estimation from blob features , 1996, Proceedings of 13th International Conference on Pattern Recognition.

[17]  Joseph A. Paradiso,et al.  Tracking hands above large interactive surfaces with a low-cost scanning laser rangefinder , 1998, CHI Conference Summary.

[18]  Kenneth R. Smith,et al.  The OpenGL Reference Manual , 1992 .

[19]  Peter W. Rice.  Stretchable music : a graphically rich, interactive composition system , 1998 .

[20]  Michael Petrov,et al.  Optical 3D Digitizers: Bringing Life to the Virtual World , 1998, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[21]  Joseph A. Paradiso,et al.  Electric Field Sensing For Graphical Interfaces , 1998, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[22]  Hobart R. Everett,et al.  Sensors for Mobile Robots: Theory and Application , 1995 .

[23]  T. D. Cole.  Laser altimeter designed for deep-space operation , 1996 .

[24]  O. H. Lowry.  Academic press. , 1972, Analytical chemistry.

[25]  Alex Pentland,et al.  Pfinder: real-time tracking of the human body , 1996, Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition.