Designing Gestural Interfaces

TILT TO MOVE

WHAT

Moving the body, limb, or hand in a particular direction moves an avatar, an on-screen object, or a physical object in that direction.

USE WHEN

Use Tilt to Move as a means of controlling direction in a 3D or physical space. Note that body tilting may be difficult for young children or the elderly.

WHY

Tilting allows for a lot of nuanced control of movement, yet it also allows the body to remain mostly stationary while doing so.

HOW

Tilt to Move generally requires some sort of gyroscope or multiaxis accelerometer inside a device to measure angle, or it can be faked with pressure pads on an object that is being stood on, detecting changes in pressure/weight as the user tilts a limb or the body in a specific direction.

EXAMPLES

Figure 4-25. Designed for navigating 3D worlds, the SpaceNavigator has a cap that users can tilt (as well as twist and move from side to side and up and down) to move their avatar in any direction in a 3D environment or to manipulate 3D objects. Courtesy 3Dconnexion.

Figure 4-26. To operate a Segway, drivers tilt in the direction they want to go. Courtesy Segway, Inc.

Figure 4-27. The Wii Balance Board uses a series of pressure sensors to detect a user's balance ...