View article

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for manipulating virtual objects defined by a computer according to the gestures, position, and movement of the hand of an operator. Such manipula tion includes positioning a cursor or other representa tion of the hand of the operator with respect to virtual objects defined by the computer. Operations on those virtual objects may then be carried out according to certain gesture specifying movements of the operator's hand. The virtual objects themselves may be represen tations of computer input devices such as a joystick, mouse, pen, keyboard, paintbrush or other devices. More generally, the objects finay be tools which them selves act on other virtual objects. For example, a vir tual steering wheel may be used to drive a simulation of an automobile, or to provide input to a remote system.