Evaluation of motion-based interaction for mobile devices: A case study on image browsing

This article evaluates the usability of motion sensing-based interaction on a mobile platform using image browsing as a representative task. Three types of interfaces, a physical button interface, a motion-sensing interface using a high-precision commercial 3D motion tracker, and a motion-sensing interface using an in-house low-cost 3D motion tracker, are compared in terms of task performance and subjective preference. Participants were provided with prolonged training over 20 days, in order to compensate for the participants’ unfamiliarity with the motion-sensing interfaces. Experimental results showed that the participants’ task performance and subjective preference for the two motion-sensing interfaces were initially low, but they rapidly improved with training and soon approached the level of the button interface. Furthermore, a recall test, which was conducted 4 weeks later, demonstrated that the usability gains were well retained in spite of the long time gap between uses. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of motion-based interaction as an intuitive interface for mobile devices.

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► We compared the usability of a button interface and two motion-sensing interfaces.
► Image browsing on mobile devices was selected as a representative task.
► Participants were provided with prolong training for 23 days.
► The experimental scores of the two motion-sensing interfaces were initially low.
► The scores of the motion-sensing interfaces improved and approached the button level.