A Dynamic Gesture Language and Graphical Feedback for Interaction in a 3D User Interface

In user interfaces of modern systems, users get the impression of directly interacting with application objects. In 3D based user interfaces, novel input devices, like hand and force input devices, are being introduced. They aim at providing natural ways of interaction. The use of a hand input device allows the recognition of static poses and dynamic gestures performed by a user’s hand. This paper describes the use of a hand input device for interacting with a 3D graphical application. A dynamic gesture language, which allows users to teach some hand gestures, is presented. Furthermore, a user interface integrating the recognition of these gestures and providing feedback for them, is introduced. Particular attention has been spent on implementing a tool for easy specification of dynamic gestures, and on strategies for providing graphical feedback to users’ interactions. To demonstrate that the introduced 3D user interface features, and the way the system presents graphical feedback, are not restricted to a hand input device, a force input device has also been integrated into the user interface.