Gesture Control Actuator Enveloping Body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building automation systems require complex setup and user training for gesture control, limiting simplicity and intuitiveness in controlling technical building actuators.
Innovation Solution
A method using a situation monitor with a sensor and control unit that evaluates pointing gestures to activate actuators, where a virtual enveloping body defines the actuator's spatial position, allowing intuitive control without prior training, and enabling control of both visible and invisible actuators through directional information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gesture control is implemented using virtual sensors and predefined swipe gestures, then actuator control functionality is achieved, but system complexity and user training requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically defines the enveloping body based on the actuator's physical position and dimensions without requiring manual configuration. The control unit autonomously calculates the control volume and associates it with the corresponding actuator, eliminating the need for complex virtual sensor setup and making the system self-configuring
Solution Approach 2:
The enveloping body creates a virtual representation of the physical actuator's spatial occupancy. This virtual model copies the actuator's position and dimensions in the sensor coordinate system, allowing gesture control without direct physical interaction with the actuator itself
2Measurement precision
If multiple camera sensors are used for gesture detection, then gesture recognition accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional camera images to three-dimensional spatial understanding by defining an enveloping body with volumetric properties. The control unit processes spatial coordinates and distance information to create a 3D control volume, enabling more intuitive and accurate gesture recognition without requiring multiple cameras
3Adaptability or versatility
If virtual sensors are defined on room boundary surfaces, then gesture control area is established, but setup complexity and user configuration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of defining control areas from the room boundary outward (traditional virtual sensor approach), the system defines the enveloping body from the actuator's position inward. The control volume is generated by inverting the traditional approach - starting with the actuator's physical dimensions and expanding outward to create the control zone, eliminating manual boundary configuration
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A method for operating a building installation with a situation monitor 3 comprises a sensor 4 that multidimensionally detects its monitoring area 6 and a control unit 5 for evaluating the sensor data. The control unit 5 can control at least one actuator L1 to L4 of a building technology installation. User control of the at least one actuator L1 to L4 is achieved by gesture control, whereby the data detected by the situation monitor 3 are evaluated for the presence of a pointing gesture in order to control an actuator L1 to L4. During system setup, at least one actuator L1 to L4 that can be controlled by a pointing gesture is defined in the coordinate system of the data detected by the sensor 4 by a hull 13, 13.1 that encloses or virtually represents the actuator L1 to L4.The system activates these actuators L1 to L4 when the user points to the enclosing body 13, 13.1 using a predefined pointing gesture. Also described is a building installation with a situation monitor 3, comprising a sensor 4 that multidimensionally detects its monitoring area 6, a control unit 5 for evaluating the sensor data, and at least one actuator controllable by the control unit 5 of the situation monitor. The control unit 5 is assigned a storage unit, or the control unit 5 includes a storage unit in which a predefined pointing gesture is stored as a pattern, along with the coordinates of each enclosing or virtually representing an actuator L1 to L4.