MultiPoint: Comparing laser and manual pointing as remote input in large display interactions

We present MultiPoint, a set of perspective-based remote pointing techniques that allows users to perform bimanual and multi-finger remote manipulation of graphical objects on large displays. We conducted two empirical studies that compared remote pointing techniques performed using fingers and laser pointers, in single and multi-finger pointing interactions. We explored three types of manual selection gestures: squeeze, breach and trigger. The fastest and most preferred technique was the trigger gesture in the single point experiment and the unimanual breach gesture in the multi-finger pointing study. The laser pointer obtained mixed results: it is fast, but inaccurate in single point, and it obtained the lowest ranking and performance in the multipoint experiment. Our results suggest MultiPoint interaction techniques are superior in performance and accuracy to traditional laser pointers for interacting with graphical objects on a large display from a distance.

► Compared remote pointing techniques using fingers and laser pointers. ► Explored three types of manual selection gestures: squeeze, breach and trigger. ► Trigger gesture was fastest and preferred technique in single point experiment. ► Unimanual breach gesture was fastest and preferred in multi-finger pointing study.