Smartwatches promise to bring enhanced convenience to common communication, creation and information retrieval tasks. Due to their prominent placement on the wrist, they must be small and otherwise unobtrusive, which limits the sophistication of interactions we can perform. This problem is particularly acute if the smartwatch relies on a touchscreen for input, as the display is small and our fingers are relatively large. In this work, we propose a complementary input approach: using the watch face as a multi-degree-of-freedom, mechanical interface. We developed a proof of concept smartwatch that supports continuous 2D panning and twist, as well as binary tilt and click. To illustrate the potential of our approach, we developed a series of example applications, many of which are cumbersome -- or even impossible -- on today's smartwatch devices.

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Expanding the input expressivity of smartwatches with mechanical pan, twist, tilt and click

We present WatchIt, a prototype device that extends interaction beyond the watch surface to the wristband, and two interaction techniques for command selection and execution. Because the small screen of wristwatch computers suffers from visual occlusion and the fat finger problem, we investigated the use of the wristband as an available interaction resource. Not only does WatchIt use a cheap, energy efficient and invisible technology, but it involves simple, basic gestures that allow good performance after little training, as suggested by the results of a pilot study. We propose a novel gesture technique and an adaptation of an existing menu technique suitable for wristband interaction. In a user study, we investigated their usage in eyes-free contexts, finding that they perform well. Finally, we present techniques where the bracelet is used in addition to the screen to provide precise continuous control over list scrolling. We also report on a preliminary survey of traditional and digital jewelry that points to the high frequency of watches and bracelets in both genders and gives a sense of the tasks people feel like performing on such devices.

https://hal-imt.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01115851/document

Watchit: simple gestures and eyes-free interaction for wristwatches and bracelets

With the increasing popularity of mainstream wearable devices, it is critical to assess the accessibility implications of such technologies. For people with visual impairments, who do not always need the visual display of a mobile phone, alternative means of eyes-free wearable interaction are particularly appealing. To explore the potential impacts of such technology, we conducted two studies. The first was an online survey that included 114 participants with visual impairments and 101 sighted participants; we compare the two groups in terms of current device use. The second was an interview and design probe study with 10 participants with visual impairments. Our findings expand on past work to characterize a range of trends in smartphone use and accessibility issues therein. Participants with visual impairments also responded positively to two eyes-free wearable device scenarios: a wristband or ring and a glasses-based device. Discussions on projected use of these devices suggest that small, easily accessible, and discreet wearable input could positively impact the ability of people with visual impairments to access information on the go and to participate in certain social interactions.

Current and future mobile and wearable device use by people with visual impairments

We propose a new way of eyes-free interaction for wearables. It is based on the user's proprioceptive sense, i.e., rather than seeing, hearing, or feeling an outside stimulus, users feel the pose of their own body. We have implemented a wearable device called Pose-IO that offers input and output based on proprioception. Users communicate with Pose-IO through the pose of their wrists. Users enter information by performing an input gesture by flexing their wrist, which the device senses using a 3-axis accelerometer. Users receive output from Pose-IO by find-ing their wrist posed in an output gesture, which Pose-IO actuates using electrical muscle stimulation. This mechanism allows users to interact with Pose-IO without visual or auditory senses, but through the proprioceptive sense alone. We developed three simple applications that demonstrate symmetric proprioceptive interaction, where input and output occur through the same limb, as well as asymmetric interaction, where input and output occur through different limbs. In a first user study, participants using a symmetric proprioceptive interface re-entered poses received from Pose-IO with an average accuracy of 5.8° despite the minimal bandwidth offered by the device. In a second, exploratory study, we investigated participants' emotional response to asymmetric proprioceptive interaction and the concept of the user's body serving as interface. Participants reported to enjoy the experience (4.6 out of 5).

Proprioceptive Interaction

There is disclosed a wearable electronic device for use with controllable connected devices. The wearable electronic device includes a band worn on, for example, the forearm of a user, and the band carries at least one muscle activity sensor, at least one inertial sensor, and a processor communicatively coupled to the sensors. The on-board processor is operable to identify, a plurality of gestures made by a user, based on muscle activity detected by the muscle activity sensor(s) and motion detected by the inertial sensor(s). In response to identifying a gesture, the wearable electronic device wirelessly transmits one or more signal(s) in order to interact with a controllable connected device.

Methods and devices that combine muscle activity sensor signals and inertial sensor signals for gesture-based control

We present a haptic wristwatch prototype that makes it possible to acquire information from a companion mobile device through simple eyes-free gestures. The wristwatch we have built uses a custom-made piezoelectric actuator combined with sensors to create a natural, inconspicuous, gesture-based interface. Feedback is returned to the user in the form of haptic stimuli that are delivered to the wrist. We evaluated the capabilities and limitations of our prototype through two user experiments. One experiment verified that the apparatus could be used as a tactile notification mechanism. The other experiment assessed the feasibility of using a cover-and-hold gesture on the wristwatch to obtain numerical data tactually. Results from the numerosity experiment and feedback from participants prompted us to redesign the cover-and-hold gesture to provide users with additional control over the interaction. We qualitatively evaluated the redesigned interaction by handing the prototype to users so that they could use it in a realistic work environment. Taken together, results from the experiments and the validation process indicate that a wrist accessory can be effectively used to perform discreet, closed-loop, eyes-free interactions with a mobile device.

A haptic wristwatch for eyes-free interactions

A method of controlling an electronic device includes detecting receipt of an input, determining a response number in response to receipt of the input, and actuating an actuator of the electronic device a discrete integer number of times based on the response number.

Electronic device including actuator and method of controlling same for providing tactile output

An electronic device includes a base, a membrane coupled to and spaced from the base, an actuator disposed between the base and the membrane, and spaced from the membrane when the actuator is not actuated, and a controller configured to control actuation of the actuator to cause the actuator to contact the membrane.

Scott James Stobbe

Papers

A haptic wristwatch for eyes-free interactions

Electronic device including actuator and method of controlling same for providing tactile output

Electronic device including actuator for providing tactile output