The Use of Image Processing Methods to Improve the Detection of User’s Hand in Vision Based Games Used in Neurological Rehabilitation

Abstract

Abstract Vision based games is a type of software that can become a promising, modern neuroreha-bilitation tool. This paper presents the possibilities offered for the implementation of this kind of software by the open source vision library. The methods and functions related to the aspect of image processing and analysis are presented in terms of their usefulness in creating programs based on the analysis of the images acquired from the camera. On the basis of the issues contained in the paper, the functionality of the library is presented in terms of the possibilities related primarily to the processing of video sequences, detection, tracking and analysis of the movement of objects. As part of the work, the software that meets the requirements for modern neurorehablitation games has been implemented. Its main part is responsible for the identification of the current position of the user’s hand and is based on the image captured from the webcam. Whereas the tasks set for the user used among others supporting visual-motor coordination. The main subject of the research was the analysis of the impact of the applied methods of initial image processing on the correctness of the chosen tracking algorithm. It was proposed and experimentally examined the impact of operations such as morphological transformations or apply an additional mask on a functioning of the CamShift algorithm. And hence on the functioning of the whole game which analyzing the user’s hand movement.