Glow Move

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  side view

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  front view

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  close up

This project is called GlowMove. It’s an interactive, gesture-controlled arcade game that tests reaction time using hand movements.

A color lights up, and the player has to respond with the correct hand gesture before the time runs out. Each correct reaction scores a point, so it becomes a fast-paced reflex challenge.

GlowMove runs computer vision on a Raspberry Pi to track hand gestures in real time, while an Arduino controls the LEDs and buzzer. This split keeps the system responsive and modular.

Beyond a game, GlowMove could be adapted for reaction training, interactive learning, or physical therapy exercises.

Inspiration

Fun arcade games!

What it does

GlowMove is a gesture-controlled arcade game that tests a player’s reaction time and hand–eye coordination. The system lights up different colours, and the player must perform the corresponding hand gesture within a limited time to score points.

How we built it

GlowMove runs computer vision on a Raspberry Pi connected to a camera and an Arduino. The Raspberry Pi uses OpenCV and MediaPipe to detect and classify hand gestures in real time. The Arduino handles all hardware output, including controlling the LEDs and the buzzer, which signals the start and end of the game. Communication between the Raspberry Pi and Arduino happens over serial, keeping the system modular and responsive.

Challenges we ran into

• making the hand gesture detection algorithm reliable under different camera angles and lighting conditions
• detecting finger states accurately required careful tuning of the gesture logic
• balancing so much performance on a low-power Raspberry Pi while maintaining real-time responsiveness and engagement

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Having successfully built a working game given that we have no experience in computer vision or using a RaspberryPi. It was a fun learning journey!

What we learned

We learned how to integrate computer vision with embedded hardware, manage serial communication between devices, and design gesture recognition logic that works in real-world conditions. We also gained experience optimising software for performance on constrained hardware.

What's next for Glow Move

Next, we want to add difficulty levels that dynamically adjust reaction time, introduce more gesture types, and track player performance over time. We also plan to explore applications beyond gaming, such as reflex training tools, interactive educational games, and physical therapy exercises.

Built With

• arduino
• buzzer
• camera
• mediapipe
• opencv
• raspberry-pi