SmoothMoves: Smooth Pursuits Head Movements for Augmented Reality

Abstract

SmoothMoves is an interaction technique for augmented reality (AR) based on smooth pursuits head movements. It works by computing correlations between the movements of on-screen targets and the user’s head while tracking those targets. The paper presents three studies. The first suggests that head based input can act as an easier and more affordable surrogate for eye-based input in many smooth pursuits interface designs. A follow-up study grounds the technique in the domain of augmented reality, and captures the error rates and acquisition times on different types of AR devices: head-mounted (2.6%, 1965ms) and hand-held (4.9%, 2089ms). Finally, the paper presents an interactive lighting system prototype that demonstrates the benefits of using smooth pursuits head movements in interaction with AR interfaces. A final qualitative study reports on positive feedback regarding the technique’s suitability for this scenario. Together, these results indicate show SmoothMoves is viable, efficient and immediately available for a wide range of wearable devices that feature embedded motion sensing.