A system for hand gesture recognition includes a display, camera, memory, and processor. When the processor is to execute instructions, the processor is to estimate one or more motion vectors of an object using a pair of consecutive frames and estimate an average motion vector of the object. The processor may also estimate an average motion vector of the object, determine a first histogram of optical flow (HOOF) based on the one or more motion vectors and the average motion vector, determine depth values based on motion vectors from the first HOOF, and determine a second histogram of optical flow (HOOF) based on the depth values. The processor is also to obtain a descriptor based on histogram values from a histogram of optical flow (HOOF) of the one or more motion vectors, a shape descriptor, and the average motion vector and classify the descriptor as a gesture.