3D Interaction in AAL Environments Based on Ontologies

The interaction between a technical system and the user is a main issue in information technology. In the field of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) this is even more important due to the physical or mental restrictions of the users. Explicitly controlling a technically heterogeneous environment like a living area can be very complicated (e.g. using remote controls with complex interfaces) or even physically annoying (e.g. search remote controls or need to walk to a light switch). Thus, it is desirable to control the environment by simple pointing gestures or by using a centralized device. The base for this is a valid 3D representation of the environment including all required elements. In this paper, we present a new approach of an ontological representation of the real world and the dynamic service in-vocation according to this ontological 3D information. This concept is further described and validated by two application examples using a 3D GUI at a Tablet-PC and pointing gestures to control the AAL Space.