GestureTek Inc: “Balancing needs to be struck between the development of technology and its relationship with the community”

“There has to be this pioneer, the individual who has the courage, the ambition to overcome the obstacles that always develop when one tries to do something worthwhile, especially when it is new and different,” is a right quote stated by Alfred P. Sloan on people taking a small step towards invasion of something major.

Headquartered in Ontario, GestureTek™ is an inventor, pioneer, multiple patent-holder and world-leader in camera-enabled gesture-recognition technology for presentation and entertainment systems. Back in 1986, it was invented and shaped for the field of 'applied computer vision' for computer-human interaction, and have been continuing inventing new video gesture control technologies ever since.

The company's multi-patented video gesture control technology (VGC) lets users control multi-media content, access information, manipulate special effects, even immerse themselves in an interactive 3D virtual world – simply by moving their hands or body. It aims in delivering Wii-like gesture-control without the need to wear, hold or touch anything. In the past 25 years, GestureTek has installed, well over 5,000 interactive multi-media displays, kiosks, exhibits, digital signs and advertisements, virtual gaming systems and other interactive surface computing solutions, many with multi-touch interactivity.

The CEO has stated that GestureTek’s technology is used in museums, science centers, amusement parks, trade shows, retail locations, bars & nightclubs, real estate presentation centers, corporate showrooms, boardrooms, digital signage networks and other public spaces such as airports and stadiums. It is also revolutionizing television production, game development, advertising, virtual videoconferencing, and even the healthcare sector, by applying its own technology in unique and innovative ways. GestureTek was originally known as JesterTek and Vivid Group. In 2011 Qualcomm purchased from GestureTek select assets of its consumer and mobile technologies divisions.

GestureTek has offered numerous market solutions out of which few of them are briefly explained.

GestureTek’s unique blend of hand and body tracking software, motion-sensing display surfaces, immersive technologies and custom design and application development capabilities can satisfy virtually any market need in any sector for interactive, gesture-controlled presentation, entertainment and information systems.

Its motion controlled user interfaces and interactive displays are used by institutions, corporations, audio visual integrators, advertisers, marketers, service organizations and event and trade show planners for their public installations, i.e. to sum up GestureTek’s innovation and programming can be utilized by industries too.

“We also offer specialized hardware design and application development services for custom projects and installations,” mentions Vincent John Vincent, CEO of GestureTek.

Designed with flexibility in mind, its gesture recognition technologies can vision equip virtually any toy, game or electronic device, allowing content to be easily ported between platforms, and providing original equipment manufacturers and consumer products companies with everything they need to integrate computer vision control into their offerings. In another marketing solution, Interactive gesture control displays capture attention like static ads cannot. GestureTek creates high-impact motion-activated digital signage and gesture-driven experiential advertising in stores, malls, stadiums, foyers, transportation stations and other public spaces. Innovations like multi-touch interfaces and immersive technology, that puts a users’ image into an ad, have inspired companies like DynaMedia, Inwindow Outdoor, Monster Media and Reactrix to license GestureTek’s technologies and patents.

Gesture also has control interactive technology in schools that creates a dynamic and engaging learning environment, engaging students and taking the learning experience to new heights. Floors, tables, walls, even desktops, can become an interactive display medium to teach the curriculum, entertain students during playtime, and even reinforce specific physical and cognitive skills. Multi-touch, point to control, immersion and camera-enabled 3D tracking are just a few of the technologies that GestureTek is introducing to educational institutions.

And the last one among all other market solutions, GestureTek has successfully created interactive and immersive programming content for TV news channels, animated productions and game shows worldwide, such as Nickelodeon's ‘Nick Arcade’, Tokyo Broadcast System’s ‘Varikin 7’ and Weather Service International’s weather reports. . “We help identify and execute on interactive requirements, creating state-of-the art interactive ‘virtual sets’ and outputting broadcast-ready entertainment,” says CEO.

Meeting the Master

Vincent John Vincent is the co-founder of GestureTek and has been the creative force behind the company and its technological innovations for the past 25 years.

Vincent's unique insight and creativity has been instrumental in defining and developing the video gesture recognition and control industry. In addition to commercially marketing the company’s technology, Vincent is responsible for day-to-day operations and sales and marketing for the business. Vincent leads the company's activities in ongoing market identification, product development in multiple vertical markets, and worldwide installation of GestureTek systems. Vincent has personally overseen the creation of well over 400 GestureXtreme virtual experience applications for games, corporate events, TV productions, education, and virtual therapy uses. He has been in charge of more than 6000 installations of GestureTek systems to various vertical markets.

Vincent is recognized as a leader in the world of multimedia, having represented the industry and delivered keynote addresses at countless industry conferences worldwide. Vincent is a co-creator and past Executive Producer of The International Digital Media Awards. He is on the advisory board for the Toronto Design Exchange VR Visualization Center, and the Art Institute of Toronto. In 2003, Vincent was honored by the Canadian Digital Media Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2007 he was honoured with the Media Guru award in Milan Italy. He was the 2011 inductee into the DigiFest "Digital Pioneers Hall of Fame". He has keynoted many conferences and in 2011 he spoke at TedXWaterloo and IdeaCity in Toronto.

Mr. Vincent has a degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo.

“We provide consulting and application development services, to help companies who license our patents and technologies get the most out of their agreement with GestureTek.”