With edge AI processors such as those from Hailo, DeepX, Encharge, or BrainChip running on the Digital View AI-100 or ALC-4096-AIH board with Raspberry Pi, it’s possible to recognize hand signals, body motions, and even standardized sign languages — all processed locally, without the cloud.
This capability opens remarkable possibilities for continuous, reliable visual awareness in environments where human attention can’t be maintained around the clock.
From Signals to Understanding
Humans communicate visually in countless ways - from the subtle to the dramatic. A simple raised hand can mean stop, a wave can mean attention, and a crossed-arms gesture might warn of danger. On construction sites, at sea, in hospitals, or in vehicles, these motions carry meaning that machines could learn to interpret.
By teaching the AI-100 or ALC-4096-AIH system to recognize gestures, we enable monitoring and control that is:
- 24/7 Alert: AI doesn’t get tired or distracted.
- Context-Aware: Recognition can be tied to location, task, or time of day.
- Privacy-Preserving: All analysis runs on-device, with no need to stream video externally.
Where Gesture Recognition Adds Value
Construction and Industrial Safety
Workers often rely on gestures to guide cranes, forklifts, and heavy equipment. A raised palm means “stop,” a circular arm motion signals “rotate,” and a frantic wave can mean “danger.”
An AI-enabled camera on a machine could recognize these gestures in real time, automatically halting equipment or alerting the operator - an extra layer of safety built into the environment.
Maritime, Aviation, and Defense
On ships and airfields, standardized visual codes such as semaphore or marshaling gestures are vital when noise or distance makes verbal communication impossible.
Edge AI can decode these movements into commands, maintaining safety even when visibility or personnel change.
Public and Security Spaces
In transport hubs, stadiums, or city streets, AI can identify distress or emergency gestures - someone waving for help, signaling danger, or showing aggression.
Because processing occurs locally, these systems can provide real-time alerts without compromising privacy.
Healthcare and Assisted Living
Gesture recognition can give patients a silent way to request help or express discomfort.
In surgical settings, touchless gesture control of displays or instruments maintains sterile conditions while allowing surgeons to interact with medical images hands-free.
Automotive and Transport
Inside vehicles, gesture recognition already enables drivers to control infotainment or navigation without touch. Future in-cabin systems could detect driver fatigue or recognize traffic officer hand signals for autonomous vehicles.
Human-Robot Collaboration
In manufacturing or logistics, gestures can command robots: “pause,” “resume,” “pick,” or “confirm.”
Edge AI lets this happen with low latency, no internet connection, and minimal compute cost — an ideal match for embedded systems.
How It Works
The process combines pose estimation and gesture classification.
- A lightweight AI model, such as MediaPipe Hands or YOLO-Pose, identifies key body landmarks.
- A second model interprets these patterns into known gestures or warnings.
- The AI-100 board executes both stages efficiently on its supported edge AI coprocessor, whether Hailo, DeepX, Encharge, or BrainChip, for response times measured in milliseconds.
This approach allows real-time interpretation using modest camera inputs and power budgets, perfectly suited to remote or mobile installations.
Summary
Gesture recognition turns passive displays into interactive, observant systems.
It can enhance safety, improve accessibility, and create new ways to interact with digital content — all with on-device intelligence that’s scalable, secure, and responsive.
The next phase of display technology isn’t just about seeing more clearly — it’s about the display understanding what it sees.
Digital View – AI at the Display Edge: Where visual systems learn to interpret the world around them.
Next steps:
- See the Digital View AI enabled boards, ALC-4096-AIH, AI-100
- Contact us to discuss your project requirements
