The need for natural and effective Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is increasingly important due to the prevalence of computers in human activities. Computer vision and pattern recognition continue to play a dominant role in the HCI realm. However, computer vision methods often fail to become pervasive in the field due to the lack of real-time, robust algorithms, and novel and convincing applications.

This state-of-the-art contributed volume is comprised of articles by prominent experts in computer vision, pattern recognition and HCI. It is the first published text to capture the latest research in this rapidly advancing field with exclusive focus on real-time algorithms and practical applications in diverse and numerous industries, and it outlines further challenges in these areas.

Real-Time Vision for Human-Computer Interaction is an invaluable reference for HCI researchers in both academia and industry, and a useful supplement for advanced-level courses in HCI and Computer Vision.

One of my formative childhood experiences was in 1968 stepping into the Uptown Theater on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, DC, one of the few movie theaters nationwide that projected in large-screen cinerama. I was there at the urging of a friend, who said I simply must see the remarkable film whose run had started the previous week. "You won't understand it," he said, "but that doesn't matter." All I knew was that the film was about science fiction and had great special eflPects. So I sat in the front row of the balcony, munched my popcorn, sat back, and experienced what was widely touted as "the ultimate trip:" 2001: A Space Odyssey.