A taxonomy and notation method for three-dimensional hand gestures

Abstract

Recently, studies on gesture-based interfaces have made an effort to improve the intuitiveness of gesture commands by asking users to define a gesture for a command. However, there are few methods to organize and notate user-defined gestures in a systematic approach. To resolve this, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) Hand Gesture Taxonomy and Notation Method. We first derived elements of a hand gesture by analyzing related studies and subsequently developed the 3D Hand Gesture Taxonomy based on the elements. Moreover, we devised a Notation Method based on a combination of the elements and also matched a code to each element for easy notation. Finally, we have verified the usefulness of the Notation Method by training participants to notate hand gestures and by asking another set of participants to recreate the notated gestures. In short, this research proposes a novel and systematic approach to notate hand gesture commands. Relevance to industry: This study develops a 3D Hand Gesture Taxonomy and Notation Method. The results of this study can be used as a guideline to organize hand gestures for enhancing the usability of gesture-based interfaces. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.