Wearable Drone Controller: Machine Learning-Based Hand Gesture Recognition and Vibrotactile Feedback

We proposed a wearable drone controller with hand gesture recognition and vibrotactile feedback. The intended hand motions of the user are sensed by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the back of the hand, and the signals are analyzed and classified using machine learning models. The recognized hand gestures control the drone, and the obstacle information in the heading direction of the drone is fed back to the user by activating the vibration motor attached to the wrist. Simulation experiments for drone operation were performed, and the participants’ subjective evaluations regarding the controller’s convenience and effectiveness were investigated. Finally, experiments with a real drone were conducted and discussed to validate the proposed controller.