What I did this week
Early this week, the fingertip detection system was fully tested and cleaned up. This week, my primary focus is the successful implementation of a robust version of the Tap Detection Algorithm. The resulting system successfully detects tap events with a relatively high accuracy, addressing some noise and false positive issues.
The successful Tap Detection Algorithm requires three simultaneous logic gates to register a tap: First, the motion must exceed a defined Start Velocity Threshold to initiate the “tap in progress” state. Second, the finger must travel a Minimum Distance from its starting point, ensuring the event is intentional and not incidental tremor. Finally, a Stop Condition must be met, where the motion slows down after a minimum duration, confirming a deliberate strike-and-rest action. To ensure clean input, I also implemented crucial filtering features, including Pinky Suppression—which discards the Pinky’s tap if it occurs simultaneously with the Ring finger—and a Global Debounce enforced after any successful tap event to prevent motion overshoot from registering unwanted consecutive hits.
Scheduling
I am currently on schedule. Although time was spent earlier in the week troubleshooting and implementing the new Gradient-Based detection method due to the previous method’s instability, the successful and robust finalization of the complex tap detection algorithm has put us firmly back on track.
What I plan to do next week
Next week’s focus will be on two key areas: input state refinement and integration for a working demo. I plan to finalize the finger gesture-based state detection (e.g., “on surface” versus “in air” states). This refinement is essential for distinguishing intentional keyboard contact from hovering, which will be used to further optimize the tap detection process by reducing invalid taps and substantially increasing overall accuracy. Following the refinement of the state logic, I will integrate the stable tap detection output with the existing system architecture. This means collaborating with the team to ensure the full pipeline—from gesture processing to final application output—is fully functional. The ultimate deliverable for the week is finalizing a stable, functional demo version of the application, ready for presentation and initial user testing.