Hello everyone!
I am glad that I participated in the Experimenting with Gesture Sensors competition, I have the opportunity to interact with a device and a technology that I could say is quite advanced for me. Apart from the mobile phone that has a touchscreen (it's not new to anyone), I haven't used anything else that has functionalities as close as possible to what this kit offers, and I'm referring to processing images/shapes. We can say that the technology used to create this system also requires some processing of shapes, given the fact that in the instructions for use, the manufacturer urges us to perform certain actions from the hand or fingers, if we want the sensor to correctly recognize our gestures.
A few days ago I received the package with the MAX25405 kit, which is based on sensors based on IR technology, to detect the gestures or movements that a person makes in front of the sensor barrier. As the manufacturer says, our hand is illuminated by a precise light source, and the reflection captured by the MAX25405 sensor, which is actually an IR array (totaling about 60 pixels) is analyzed, and following a well-defined algorithm I take the necessary actions. That is why I said that in this process there is also some form recognition.
The kit I received contains:
- a board based on the MAX32620FTHR microcontroller;
- a board like a bar that includes the MAX25405 sensor;
- another board, like an interface or a shield;
- a 220VAC to 3.3VDC adapter;
- a ribbon cable.
The board with uC MAX32620FTHR is small in size, and has a micro-usb port through which it can be connected to a laptop/PC.
The MAX25405 sensor is centrally located on a narrow electronic circuit, ~175mm long (like a bar as I said).
The shield connects with the MAX32620FTHR board (one has female pins and the other has male pins). The MAX25405 sensor is also connected to the shield, through a ribbon cable. This sensor cannot be directly connected to the MAX32620FTHR board because it does not have a suitable socket.
The 3.3VDC power source has a US plug, I use an EU plug, but I can use one of my power sources without problems.
As it was presented on the website, this MAX25405 sensor is able to recognize hand gestures (attention, only with one of the hands, not with both at the same time as Tony Stark does in Ironman) made by a person, such as:
- Hand Swipe Left, Right, Up, and Down;
- Finger/Hand Rotation Clockwise and Counter-Clockwise;
- Air Click;
- Proximity Detection and Linger-to-Click.
All this leads us to think of an interactive remote. This control method is mainly found in the automotive field, in the manufacturers of more luxurious cars. For example, you can change the radio channel with a hand swipe (I don't think the car is called that anymore, the infotainment system means a lot); by finger/hand rotation you can adjust the volume of the audio system. All this helps the driver, in my opinion, because by performing these commands in the air, the driver can maintain his attention on the road he is traveling on. Of course, someone can say that the steering wheel has buttons that already do this, but in the end the manufacturer knows something. There are other situations where gesture control acts are more useful.
In addition to the hardware components mentioned above, the software component is also added. For example, to be able to use the MAX32620FTHR uC board, it is necessary to install the MaximGestureSensorEVKit_SetupVx-x-x.exe software tool, which looks something like this:
Of course, we have many settings available such as color palettes; we can see FPS; in the menu File->Record Pixel Data to File you can also export a *CSV file that contains the pixel data.
We have 3 main windows:
1. Heat map
When a heat source near the IR sensors is detected by the IR sensor array (MAX25405 sensor), a pixelated mapping appears on the map.
2. Gesture
This tab probably interests us the most. On the right side, you can see the gestures that the MAX25405 sensor recognizes, plus details about the movement that the sensor recorded.
3. Proximity
The number "67" represents the percentage of maximum signal, measured in 1% increments. A percentage of 100% represents the highest signal level, or the closest distance. This is useful in crudely measuring the position of a hand for example, or rather if it is close or far from the sensor.
In the future, I will try to interact even more with the kit I received. I saw a bit of how the application from Maxim Integrated, which I installed on the PC, looks like.
It's a challenge. I will have to work a bit more on this kit, there are many novelties and curiosities. I need to find a method to make more use of these gestures, it would be interesting if I manage to program uC so that through the gestures I make I can control another device. An LED is a pretty good starting point, maybe I can control its light intensity.
If you want to see the unboxing video, visit the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L8mv9kPPJN6IyBfJ85dzrdaowEy7xdRL/view?usp=sharing
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