Microsoft researchers build muscle-computer interface, play air Guitar Hero

Presented at UIST (ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology) http://www.acm.org/uist/

PAPER ABSTRACT:
Previous work has demonstrated the viability of applying offline analysis to interpret forearm electromyography (EMG) and classify finger gestures on a physical surface. We extend those results to bring us closer to using musclecomputer interfaces for always-available input in real-world applications. We leverage existing taxonomies of natural human grips to develop a gesture set covering interaction in free space even when hands are busy with other objects. We present a system that classifies these gestures in real-time and we introduce a bi-manual paradigm that enables use in interactive systems. We report experimental results demonstrating four-finger classification accuracies averaging 79% for pinching, 85% while holding a travel mug, and 88% when carrying a weighted bag. We further show generalizability across different arm postures and explore the tradeoffs of providing real-time visual feedback.

AUTHORS:
T. Scott Saponas, Desney S. Tan, Dan Morris, Ravin Balakrishnan, Jim Turner, James A. Landay
University of Washington, Microsoft Research, Microsoft Corporation, University of Toronto

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