Must-Read for VR & AR Developers: Amber Case Explains Why Gesture-Based Interfaces Haven’t Lived Up to the Hype

"Why Gesture-Based Interfaces Haven’t Lived Up to the Hype" is a new post from my friend Amber Case, a UX expert and fellow at Harvard and MIT, and while her analysis applies to user interfaces across all technology, she makes some points that VR and AR developers in particular should consider. Many of them create UIs that incorporate gesture-based controls, but Amber goes into detail on the problems that they raise:

Does a gestural control interface invite imagination? No. It demands precision... Unlike pressing a physical button, gesture control is never 100% accurate. Analog interface controls, by contrast, are 1 to 1 and easier to get right — complex and counter-intuitive layouts can still be memorized and mastered. (Ask any dedicated Xbox/Playstation/Nintendo Switch gamer about this!) Unlike a physical interface, gesture control provides no tactile feedback...

Gesture control interfaces are great for short periods of time, but they quickly fail under repeated use and long timelines. This makes them enjoyable when they’re used for family fun and games in fixed environments like living rooms, but they’re unnecessarily complex for more professional solutions. Tom Cruise would have been much better off fighting pre-crime with a control that looks more like a laser pointer that he could hold at the waist, but it wouldn’t have looked as cool.

Much more here.

Comments

[RogueOne]

I'm working for a company which sells and installs Oblong's collaboration suite... And unfortunately I must agree, it's exhausting to use. And while it looks cool, it's certainly expensive for what it is, a job a few touch screens could do better.