Cross-cultural comparison of hand gestures of Japanese and Germans for tabletop systems

• This study compares gesture use of Japanese and Germans.
• Gestures were generated for map application and a video walkthrough.
• Participants’ gestures were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed.
• Gestures were similar in physical aspects.
• But gestures differed in symbolic and metaphorical aspects.

Goal was to study cultural differences between Japanese and Germans gesture use when interacting with a map and a video walkthrough application for a table top system. Japanese and Germans’ choice of gestures was compared in a quasi-experimental design. Gestures had to be generated for two different scenarios, an electronic map and a video walkthrough. Data revealed that physical aspects of hand gestures such as hand shape, focus on motion pattern, and preference of simple, one-hand gestures are similar between Japanese and Germans. However, Japanese and Germans differed in the choice of symbolic and metaphorical gestures and in the frame of reference and perspective taken for performing gestures. Furthermore, differences between Germans and Japanese were larger for the map application than for the video walkthrough. Culture partly affects the choice of hand gestures for table top systems. Designers of gesture vocabularies for tabletop systems have to carefully consider which referents are carried out by hand gestures alone. Gesture input appears to be appropriate for the direct manipulation of objects or real world applications. However, abstract functions or artificial realities should not be handled by gestures alone. Also, designers should consider the development of culture-centered interfaces.