Investigating intuitiveness and effectiveness of gestures for free spatial interaction with large displays

A key challenge for creating large interactive displays in public spaces is in the definition of ways for the user to interact that are effective and easy to learn. This paper presents the outcomes of user evaluation sessions designed to test a series of different gestures for people interacting with large displays in the public space. It is an initial step towards the broader goal of establishing a natural means for immersive interactions. The paper proposes a set of simple gestures for the execution of the basic actions of selecting and rearranging items in a large-scale dashboard. We performed a comparative analysis of the gestures, leading to a more in-depth understanding of the nature of spatial interaction between people and large public displays. More specifically, the analysis focuses on the scenarios when the interaction is restricted to an individual's own body, without any further assistance from associated devices. The findings converge into the elaboration of a model for assisting with the applicability of spatial gestures in response to both the context and the content they are applied to.