Perceptual User Interface

The limitations of graphical user interfaces have slowed the spread of computer usage to the entire population. Perceptual user interfaces are one approach that can overcome many of these limitations. Adding perceptual capabilities, such as speech, sketching, and vision, is the key to making interfaces more effective. We argue that informal user interfaces, which do little or no up-front recognition of the perceptual input, have important applications and should not be forgotten by perceptual user interface ...

The widespread availability of portable computing power and inexpensive digital cameras are opening up new possibilities for retailers in some markets. One example is in optical shops, where a number of systems exist that facilitate eyeglasses selection. These systems are now more necessary as the market is saturated with an increasingly complex array of lenses, frames, coatings, tints, photochromic and polarizing treatments, etc. Research challenges encompass Computer Vision, Multimedia and Human-Computer Interaction. Cost factors are also of importance for widespread product acceptance. This paper describes a low-cost system that allows the user to visualize different glasses models in live video. The user can also move the glasses to adjust its position on the face. The system, which runs at 9.5 frames/s on general-purpose hardware, has a homeostatic module that keeps image parameters controlled. This is achieved by using a camera with motorized zoom, iris, white balance, etc. This feature can be specially useful in environments with changing illumination and shadows, like in an optical shop. The system also includes a face and eye detection module and a glasses management module.