libHecato is an easy-to-use framework to quickly set up depth-imaging-enabled (e.g. "Kinect") multi-user interaction applications. It is able to process touch events, gestural movements and to track the presence of users. Got a big projection you've always wanted to use multi-touch? Grab a depth cam and libHecato is your solution. The framework hereby expects the camera to be placed above the interaction area to minimize occlusion while maximizing the amount of possible simultaneous users. libHecato's key strengths lie in the following:
Whether it's point-to-click or gestures you want to process, libHecato has a tracking component that robustly correlates the framewise detection to kalman-filtered tracks. Besides a defineable area for any hand actions it is also possible to set a space in the camera image in which persons are to be detected.
The software can handle consistent tracking over a tracking space of arbitrary length. This means that multiple depth cameras can be inconcatenated to form larger installations. This renders it highly usable for big projections.
Hecato uses the TUIO-Protocol, a for tangible user interfaces widely used protocol, for standard output. All the classes along the processing chain - from image acquisition to output are easily extendable to allow for modifications in every step. See HTBlobInterpreter to modify the handling of detections or to change how tracks should be handled.
Using only platform-independend libraries such as opencv and OpenNI itself, libHecato is able to be compiled for Linux, Windows and Mac (in this order of support :) )
The framework includes two applications for calibrating (HTCalibration) and for operation (HTApp) which usually suffice for not too specific tasks. In this case, no programming experience is needed to use libHecato.
Find the doxy here: http://www.socialnerds.org/polylux/libHecato Might not always be the super-latest version, you'll find your own doxyfile under /doc I recently did a how-to for the project "Connecting Cities" - go there if you get stuck at some point: http://www.aec.at/connectingcities/?p=466
CADET - Center for Advances in Digital Entertainment Technologies Copyright 2011 University of Applied Science Salzburg / MultiMediaTechnology & Ars Electronica Futurelab
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