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Israeli firm develops Hand Recognition Tool

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Israeli firm develops Hand Recognition Tool   

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Giora Bar-Sakai, vice president (R&D) of FTK Technologies, Israel, spoke to R Jai Krishna of CyberMedia News on their new project of Hand Recognition and Tracking System along with an Indian partner, Chennai-based C K Technologies, a premier company, working on language computing

Could you tell about the business of FTK technologies and its FastKeys project?

FTK Technologies in an Israeli company working on language computing and innovative tools. At present we have developed a revolutionary, state-of-the-art, innovative, Patent Protected Technologies called the HRT: Hands Recognition and Tracking, which works on SVH (Simulated Virtual Hands) technology. Using HRT and SVH technologies, we provide a real-time simulation of the user’s hands, positioned as virtual hands, over a virtual keyboard.

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Our vision is to implement our SVH and HRT technologies as a Standard between majority of PC and Notebook users globally.

Could you tell us more about the technology?

SVH and HRT is a Image Processing technology. It works on keyboard recognition, by location type and parts in FOV; Key board tracking of each frame and movements and rotation with and without hands, and finally hands recognition of each of the frames by relative location, tips and joints, thus reducing the ROI.

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The technology runs on two aApplications, namely Hands Real Time Modeling (Version 9), and Changeable Virtual Keyboards.

What is the initial product from the FTK platform called and how does it work?

The initial product is named FastKeys, is a software package, which uses video of “of the shelf” and keystrokes from “off the shelf” ordinary keyboard. With these inputs, we deliver dynamic virtual hands, displayed in a real-time simulation. This is changeable virtual keyboard offering 1000 keyboard layouts.

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FastKeys uses a PC Camera / Webcam located on the computer display monitor and the virtual hands simulate in real-time simulation the position and movements of the user's real hands, as detected and tracked by the camera.

The virtual keyboard is displayed on the user’s computer screen, and can be adjusted to be large or small, as the user requires. The virtual keyboard displays the current keyboard set-up, as defined either by the language/script being employed, the defined macro behind a function key or the configured keyboard (the keyboard set-up can constantly change according to the language/application in use). When a real key is pressed, the virtual keyboard will indicate the movement by a graphical change to the appropriate key.

What would be the kind of tie-up with Chennai-based CK Technologies?

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Shakti Office is a language computing software and FastKeys function can be assigned to the virtual keyboard, and the virtual keyboard is used in the same manner as a real keyboard. The ‘real’ hardware keyboard as well as the specific positioning of the user’s real hands is scanned, in order to obtain a real-time simulation. Thus the user is enabled to constantly view the PC/Notebook screen alone, without constantly having to shift his gaze from the ‘real’ keyboard to the screen and vice versa. The assignation of key functions to virtual keys of the virtual keyboard and the labeling of the virtual keys are implemented via software instructions and available from various sources, such as software applications and Internet sites.

The two companies are working on a project by which the application receives the video from the Webcam/PC Camera. The application locates in real time, both the positioning and movement of the user’s real hands and fingers and the positioning and movement of the physical keyboard. The application displays the virtual keyboard on the user’s computer screen, with the current relevant keyboard layout. The application displays the virtual hands in the appropriate position over the keys of the virtual keyboard (identical to the position of the real hands in relation to the real keyboard).

What would be FastKeys and Shakti Office Application Prospect?

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When a real key is pressed, the virtual keyboard indicates the movement by a graphical change to the appropriate key.

The main features would be that the product would supports both PC and Notebooks, in multilingual menus, with full configurable virtual keyboard, unlimited virtual keyboard layouts, user defined keyboards.

Similarly, the Virtual Hands and keyboard can be displayed in, 2-D and 3-D simulation. There is also an option of chosen outline colour (32bit selection), fill colour and shading selection. The package also offers changeable window size and position – manually and automatically. The database of user's preferences (Profiles), with personal calibration process, partial Keyboard Support. The application is operative without the Webcam/PC camera (i.e. display just the virtual keyboard, which can be controlled by the mouse).

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It was an automatic ‘hide’ ability according to the user's hands location. The virtual keyboard signs are automatically changed according to the application currently controlling them – S/W, Web site, or user costumed. Each Key can be assigned a symbol, picture, letter, icon, etc.

FTK-CK tie-up would implement HVT in Shakti Office, a bilingual (English/Hindi) suite of applications, including, SO write – word-processor, SoCalc – spreadsheet, SOaccess – database application, SOshow – for presentations, SOmail- the email client an SOnet – a comprehensive web site builder, and SOdraw – a drawing and painting application.

What would be the nature of tie-up and the revenue sharing when the product hits the market?

Since, both the companies, namely FTK and CK are involved right from ideation to the final product, we will be holding a joint IP for the product. As for the revenue sharing is concerned we would be sharing the licence fee arising out of the sales.

Photograph: (from left to right) Satish Rodriguez from CK and Udi Raz and Giora Bar-Sakai, vice president (R&D) of FTK Technologies.

© CyberMedia News

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