Learning-based estimation of hand and finger pose

A method for processing data, comprising:

• receiving a depth map of a scene containing a human hand, the depth map comprising a matrix of pixels having respective pixel depth values;
• extracting from the depth map respective descriptors based on the depth values in a plurality of patches distributed in respective positions over the human hand;
• matching the extracted descriptors to previously-stored descriptors in a database;
• estimating a pose of the human hand based on stored information associated with the matched descriptors;
• and
• normalizing a depth of the depth map by finding a representative depth coordinate of the human hand in the depth map and projecting a point cloud derived from the depth map responsively to the representative depth coordinate, and applying the normalized depth in matching the descriptors and estimating the pose.

A method for processing data, comprising:

• receiving a depth map of a scene containing a human hand, the depth map comprising a matrix of pixels having respective pixel depth values;
• extracting from the depth map respective descriptors based on the depth values in a plurality of patches distributed in respective positions over the human hand;
• matching the extracted descriptors to previously-stored descriptors in a database;
• estimating a pose of the human hand based on stored information associated with the matched descriptor,
• wherein estimating the pose comprises finding respective locations of landmarks of the human hand;
• and
• calibrating a scale of the human hand by finding a distance between the locations of the landmarks and scaling the depth map responsively to the distance, and applying the calibrated scale in matching the descriptors and estimating the pose.

Mapping apparatus, comprising:

• an imaging assembly, which is configured to provide a depth map of a scene containing a human hand, the depth map comprising a matrix of pixels having respective pixel depth values;
• and
• a processor, which is configured to extract from the depth map respective descriptors based on the depth values in a plurality of patches distributed in respective positions over the human hand, to match the extracted descriptors to previously-stored descriptors in a database, and to estimate a pose of the human hand based on stored information associated with the matched descriptors,
• wherein the previously-stored descriptors in the database are associated with corresponding pointers to respective locations of anatomical landmarks on the human hand, and
• wherein the processor is configured to apply the pointers to the respective positions of the patches from which the matching descriptors were extracted in order to estimate the locations of the landmarks.