DIFFERENTIATING A DETECTED OBJECT FROM A BACKGROUND USING A GAUSSIAN BRIGHTNESS FALLOFF PATTERN

A method for detecting a finger is provided. The method includes obtaining a plurality of digital images including a first digital image captured by a camera from a field of view containing a background and a hand including at least one finger, and obtaining an identification of pixels of the plurality of digital images that correspond to at least one finger that is visible in the plurality of digital images rather than to the background, the pixels being identified by: obtaining, from the digital images, a Gaussian brightness falloff pattern indicative of at least one finger, identifying an axis of the at least one finger based on the obtained Gaussian brightness falloff pattern indicative of the at least one finger without identifying edges of the at least one finger, and identifying the pixels that correspond to the at least one finger based on the identified axis.