SIDDHARTH's Blog

As the name suggests, gesture recognition is designed to recognize the physical movements, or “gestures,” of humans. Waving your hand in a particular pattern in front of the device, for instance, may tell it to launch a specific app. Gesture recognition such as this is often found in smartphones and tablet computers. 

Gesture recognition is classified as a type of touchless user interface (TUI). Unlike a touchscreen device, TUI devices are controlled without touch. A voice-controlled smart speaker like Google Home and Amazon Alexa are prime examples of TUIs. By speaking commands, you can control these devices, all without relying on touch. However, gesture recognition is also a type of TUI, as it’s also controlled without the use of touch. With that said, many devices that support gesture recognition also support touchscreen.

While there are many different types of gesture recognition technology, they all work on the same basic principle of recognizing human movement as a form of input. The device features one or more sensors — or cameras — that monitors the user’s movement. When it detects a movement that corresponds with a command, it responds with the appropriate output. This may be unlocking the device, launching an app, changing the volume, etc.