Designing An In-Vehicle Air Gesture Set Using Elicitation Methods

In-air gestures have become more prevalent in the vehicle cockpit in recent years. However, air gesture interfaces are still quite young and users have very little experience with such interactions. In the vehicle, ease of use relates directly to driver safety. Previous work has suggested that gesture sets created through participatory methods tend to be easier for people to grasp and use than designer-designed sets. In the present study, two novel participatory design activities - an elicitation activity in which participants produced gestures, and an online survey in which they assessed the workload associated with those gestures - were conducted to assess possible air gestures for control of in-vehicle menus. A recommended gesture set is presented alongside broader recommendations for vehicle gesture design.