Apparatus and method for manipulating objects with gesture controls
An apparatus for manipulating an object includes first and second gesture controllers, each operatively connected to the object and structured and programmed such that, in a first-action active state, each can causes a first action to be carried out on the object by an appropriate first-action gesture made in the gesture controller. Only one of the first and second gesture controllers at any given time is capable of being in the first-action active state, and the first-action active state is transferable between the first and second gesture controllers upon the detecting of a first-action transfer gesture by one of said first gesture controller and said second gesture controller. Specific gesture control apparatus and methods for manipulating an object are also disclosed.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
detecting, by a first gesture controller of a set of gesture controllers operatively coupled to an object and in an active state, a first gesture within a sensing field of the first gesture controller;
determining, in response to detecting the first gesture, an operation performable on the object corresponding to the first gesture;
performing the operation on the object;
detecting, by the first gesture controller, a second gesture within the sensing field of the first gesture controller, wherein the second gesture corresponds to a request to set a second gesture controller of the set of gesture controllers in the active state; and
in response to the second gesture, setting the second gesture controller in the active state to provide access to the second gesture controller to perform the operation in response to detecting the first gesture within a sensing field of the second gesture controller.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising setting the first gesture controller in an inactive state as a result of the second gesture controller being set in the active state, wherein the first gesture controller is prohibited from performing the operation as a result of being in the inactive state.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the first gesture controller, an acquire gesture corresponding to a request to acquire the active state from the second gesture controller; and
in response to the acquire gesture, transferring the active state from the second gesture controller to the first gesture controller.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the first gesture controller, a pause gesture corresponding to a request to prohibit the set of gesture controllers from processing the first gesture to perform the operation on the object; and
in response to the pause gesture, setting the set of gesture controllers in an inactive state for the first gesture to prohibit the set of gesture controllers from performing the operation on the object.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the object is a physical object mechanically coupled to one or more apparatuses; and
performing the operation on the object includes manipulating the one or more apparatuses to cause a physical manipulation of the object.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the first gesture controller during performance of the operation, the first gesture interacting with a boundary of the sensing field of the first gesture controller; and
in response to detecting the first gesture interacting with the boundary, stopping the performance of the operation.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second gesture is determined to correspond to the request to set the second gesture controller in the active state as a result of the second gesture crossing a boundary of the sensing field of the first gesture controller in a direction of the second gesture controller.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the operation is performed on the object at a speed according to the first gesture within the sensing field relative to a home position.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the second gesture controller, an acceptance gesture within the sensing field of the second gesture controller; and
in response to detecting the acceptance gesture, authorizing the second gesture controller to assume the active state.
10. A system, comprising:
a set of gesture controllers operatively coupled to an object;
one or more processors; and
memory, storing thereon instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
detect, from a first gesture controller of the set of gesture controllers in an active state, a first gesture within a sensing field of the first gesture controller;
determine, in response to the first gesture, an operation performable on the object corresponding to the first gesture;
perform the operation on the object;
detect, from the first gesture controller, a second gesture within the sensing field of the first gesture controller, wherein the second gesture corresponds to a request to set a second gesture controller of the set of gesture controllers in the active state; and
set the second gesture controller in the active state to provide access to the second gesture controller to perform the operation in response to detecting the first gesture within a sensing field of the second gesture controller.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
detect, from the first gesture controller, a pause gesture corresponding to a request to prohibit the set of gesture controllers from processing the first gesture to perform the operation on the object; and
in response to the pause gesture, set the set of gesture controllers in an inactive state for the first gesture.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein:
the system further comprises one or more apparatuses coupled to the object; and
the operation is performed on the object by manipulating the one or more apparatuses to cause a physical manipulation of the object.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
detect, during performance of the operation, the first gesture interacting with a boundary of the sensing field of the first gesture controller; and
in response to detecting the first gesture interacting with the boundary, stopping the performance of the operation.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
detect, from the first gesture controller, an acquire gesture corresponding to a request to acquire the active state from the second gesture controller; and
in response to detecting the acquire gesture, transfer the active state from the second gesture controller to the first gesture controller.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to determine that the second gesture corresponds to the request to set the second gesture controller in the active state as a result of the second gesture crossing a boundary of the sensing field of the first gesture controller in a direction of the second gesture controller.
16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operation is performed at a speed according to the first gesture within the sensing field relative to a home position within the sensing field.
17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
detect, from the second gesture controller, an acceptance gesture within the sensing field of the second gesture controller; and
in response to detecting the acceptance gesture, authorize the second gesture controller to assume the active state.
18. A gesture controller operatively coupled to an object, the gesture controller comprising:
one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors project a sensing field for detecting gestures within the sensing field;
one or more processors coupled to the one or more sensors; and
memory, storing thereon instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the gesture controller to:
detect a first gesture within the sensing field;
determine, in response to the first gesture, an operation performable on the object corresponding to the first gesture;
transmit one or more commands to an apparatus operatively coupled to the object to cause the apparatus to perform the operation;
detect a second gesture within the sensing field, wherein the second gesture corresponds to a request to set another gesture controller in an active state; and
transfer the active state to the other gesture controller to provide access to the other gesture controller to perform the operation.
19. The gesture controller of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the gesture controller to enter into an inactive state as a result of the active state being transferred to the other gesture controller.
20. The gesture controller of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the gesture controller to:
detect an acquire gesture corresponding to a request to acquire the active state from the other gesture controller;
transmit the request to the other gesture controller to obtain the active state from the other gesture controller; and
assume the active state in response to obtaining the active state from the other gesture controller.