This article presents research works devoted to the virtual reconstruction of automata of the antiquity along with associated user interaction. This work is divided in two distinct parts: the virtual reconstruction of ancient automata and the development of an interaction method by gesture recognition. The final application links both the automata with gesture recognition to revive the astonishment feeling generated by the Greeks and Romans automata mechanisms. First the paper focuses on the analysis of ancient sources required to virtually restore some ancient automata (designed during a period ranging from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD). Virtual reconstructions make it possible to understand how a mechanism works and to study different hypotheses. In a second step, we introduce gesture recognition as a tool to virtually interact with automata. The construction of an interactive immersive application allows then the user to interact virtually with automata of the Antiquity.