A Taxonomy of Microinteractions: Defining Microgestures Based on Ergonomic and Scenario-Dependent Requirements

Abstract

This paper explores how microgestures can allow us to execute a secondary task, for example controlling mobile applications, without interrupting the manual primary task, for instance, driving a car. In order to design microgestures iteratively, we interviewed sports-and physiotherapists while asking them to use task related props, such as a steering wheel, a cash card , and a pen for simulating driving a car, an ATM scenario, and a drawing task. The primary objective here is to define microgestures that are easily performable without interrupting or interfering the primary task. Using expert interviews, we developed a taxonomy that classifies these gestures according to their task context. We also assessed the ergonomic and attentional attributes that influence the feasibility and task suitability of microinteractions, and evaluated their level of resources required. Accordingly, we defined 21 microgestures that allow performing microinteractions within a manual, dual task context. Our taxonomy poses a basis for designing microinteraction techniques.

Rhythmic micro-gestures: discreet interaction on-the-go

“…is technique combines micro-gestures [21], small hand and nger movements, with rhythmic gestures [7], purposefully repeated gestures that avoid the Midas Touch problem and allow the same movements to be used for many actions, by varying the rhythm of movement. Rhythmic micro-gestures can be used for input in a wide variety of situations, but could be particularly e ective for interacting while on-the-go.…”

“…Wolf et al [20,21] described micro-gestures as small movements of the hands and ngers that can be performed whilst doing another activity. For example, they considered nger movements that could be performed when the hands were grasping a car steering wheel.…”

“…Users could perform these small gestures-e.g., tapping the index nger and thumb together-with their hands by the side of their body, allowing them to inconspicuously interact with their devices. Micro-gestures close to the body could also reduce fatigue [8] and have less impact on the user's primary activity [21] e Midas Touch problem [9] is a well-known problem for gesture interaction, where normal body movements are mistakenly treated as input to a system. is problem arises because the sensing system does not know the di erence between normal movements and movements intended to be interactions.…”

Peripheral interaction: characteristics and considerations

“…Of course, many other options to make an interactive device available 'at hand' are possible. Interesting directions to achieve this could be wearable computing [43], mobile computing [44], whole body interaction [45], gesture interaction [46] or tangible gesture interaction [47]. Apart from the idea that interactions should be available to be initiated any time, we have also seen in Fig.…”

Move, Hold and Touch: A Framework for Tangible Gesture Interactive Systems

“…Wimmer's GRASP model encompasses both semantics (goal and relationship) and physicality (anatomy, setting and properties) but keeps the focus only on the way we grasp objects in the hand [25]. Wolf presented an even more narrowed taxonomy, which analyzes microgestures that can be performed while grasping objects [26]. Similarly, Valdes et al, investigated only gestures performed with active tokens [27].…”