Don't Touch Me! A Comparison of Usability on Touch and Non-Touch Inputs

TL;DR

This study compares the usability of touchscreen and non-touch (gesture-based) interfaces, finding that non-touch methods can be user-friendly and quickly learned, challenging previous assumptions about their usability.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence that non-touch gesture interfaces are usable and learnable, offering a feasible alternative to touchscreens for public devices.

Findings

Non-touch interface was found to be usable and quickly learnable.

Participants rated non-touch interaction positively on usability scales.

The study challenges prior beliefs about the usability of gesture-based interfaces.

Abstract

Public touchscreens are filthy and, regardless of how often they are cleaned, they pose a considerable risk in the transmission of bacteria and viruses. While we rely on their use, we should find a feasible alternative to touch devices. Non-touch (touchless) interaction, via the use of mid-air gestures, has been previously labelled as not user friendly and unsuitable. However, previous works have extensively compared such interaction to precise mouse movements. In this paper, we investigate and compare the usability of an interface controlled via a touchscreen and a non-touch device. Participants (N=22) using a touchscreen and the Leap Motion Controller, performed tasks on a mock-up ticketing machine, later evaluating their experience using the System Usability and Gesture Usability scales. Results show that, in contrast to the previous works, the non-touch method was usable and quickly learnable. We conclude with recommendations for future work on making a non-touch interface more user-friendly.