Devices with small screens, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, struggle with limited forms of input - relying on touch, physical buttons, or voice. Inspired by new materials (such as Gelly, a mutual capacitance based sensor that can sense touch localization, proximity, pressure, and shear developed in the UBC Madden lab), this project explores the potential of in-air gestures performed above the surface to expand both the interaction space and richness of input for such devices.
To date, our contributions have focused on (a) exploiting pseudohaptic illusions (triggered by graphic and auditory manipulations) to increase the precision and confidence with which users can make in-air gestures; and (b) evaluating the in-air gesture design space to create guidelines for designers.