Robust fingertip detection in egocentric vision under varying illumination conditions

Wearable augmented reality (AR) systems have the potential to significantly lower the barriers to accessing information, while leaving the focus of the user's attention on the real world. To reveal their true potential, the human-machine interface is crucial. A touchless point-and-click interface for wearable AR systems may be suitable for use in many real-world applications, but it demands fingertip detection techniques robust enough to cope with cluttered backgrounds and varying illumination conditions. In this paper we propose an approach that, by automatically choosing between color and depth features, allows to detect the hand and then the user's fingertip both in indoor and outdoor scenarios, with or without adequate illumination.