Apparatus and method for detecting multiple arms and hands by using three-dimensional image

An apparatus for detecting a plurality of arms and hands by using a three-dimensional (3D) image, the apparatus comprising:

• an image input unit configured to acquire a real-time 3D image of an object;
• an arm detecting unit configured to detect one or more component-unit candidate regions of the object in a current 3D image frame, and detect one or more arm regions by using arm detection feature information, extracted from each of the candidate regions, and a pattern recognition algorithm;
• an arm tracking unit configured to track an arm by using an association between a first arm track feature of each of one or more arm regions detected from the current 3D image frame and a second arm track feature of each of one or more arm regions detected from a previous 3D image frame;
• a hand detecting unit configured to calculate a position of a hand and a position of a wrist in each arm region tracked by the arm tracking unit, and detect a hand region by using the position of the hand and the position of the wrist;
• and
• a hand tracking unit configured to track a hand by using an association between a first hand track feature of each of one or more hand regions detected from the current 3D image frame and a second hand track feature of each of one or more hand regions detected from the previous 3D image frame.

A method of detecting a plurality of arms and hands by using a three-dimensional (3D) image, the method comprising:

• acquiring a real-time 3D image of an object;
• detecting one or more component-unit candidate regions of the object in a current 3D image frame, and detecting one or more arm regions by using arm detection feature information, extracted from each of the candidate regions, and a pattern recognition algorithm;
• tracking an arm by using an association between a first arm track feature of each of one or more arm regions detected from the current 3D image frame and a second arm track feature of each of one or more arm regions detected from a previous 3D image frame;
• calculating a position of a hand and a position of a wrist in each tracked arm region, and detecting a hand region by using the position of the hand and the position of the wrist;
• tracking a hand by using an association between a first hand track feature of each of one or more hand regions detected from the current 3D image frame and a second hand track feature of each of one or more hand regions detected from the previous 3D image frame;
• and
• updating a database with the first arm hand track feature and the first hand track feature.