Gesture Interaction with 3D Printed Hybrid Compression and Inertial Tracking Device Based on Plastic Embedded Antenna for Virtual Reality Integration

This paper presents a practical approach and a low-cost method for the design and fabrication of a gesture detection device especially made for virtual reality or augmented reality applications. The proposed design uses 3D printed materials like PLA or ABS in order to develop a device that is able to measure compression and tensile forces applied to the plastic casing and track inertial movements. Our work focuses on gathering real time data from multiple human gestures such as picking and manipulating an object by hand, holding a weapon in a game, squeezing a lemon or pouring water out of a bottle. Experiments are focused on working with different types of sensors, CAD designs and 3D printed materials, that are able to deform slightly when pressure is applied and thus obtaining compression and tensile forces on the strain gauge. When successfully developed, the presented design will provide a natural and efficient gesture interaction method implemented into a wireless, easy to use device.