A usability comparison of input devices for precise and intuitive interaction with 3D visualizations

Ciril Bohak; Jože Guna; Peter Škrlj; Alja Isaković; Matija Marolt

doi:10.31449/upinf.34

Authors

Ciril Bohak University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9015-2897
Jože Guna University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Peter Škrlj University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies
Alja Isaković Cofound.it One, informacijske tehnologije, d.o.o.
Matija Marolt University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31449/upinf.34

Keywords:

user experience, usability evaluation, user study, 3D manipulation, natural user interfaces, 3D mouse

Abstract

The paper presents a user study comparing the performance and usability of different input devices for precise manipulation of 3D objects: a regular mouse, a 3D mouse, and the gesture-based Leap Motion Controller. We show that the 3D mouse is well suited for the task, as it yielded the lowest rotation error rate and best overall usability, while tasks were completed as fast with the 3D mouse as with the regular mouse interface. The 3D mouse got an average System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 88.7, the regular mouse 72.4, while the Leap Motion Controller was barely suitable for the task with an average SUS score of 56.5. The study showed that users needed the most time to finish the tasks with the Leap Motion Controller and that its gestures were not as easy to learn as with the 3D mouse. This led us to conclude that the 3D mouse is currently the best input choice among the tested devices for 3D tasks that require both high precision, quick completion and a fast learning curve.

Author Biographies

Ciril Bohak, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science

Ciril Bohak is a Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana. His research includes Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Graphics, Music Information Retrieval, Gamification, E- Learning and Game Technology. Currently he is teaching courses Computer Graphics, Game Technology and Computer Aided Design. He is one of the founding members of Slovenian HCI community.

Jože Guna, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering

Jože Guna is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. His area of research focuses on Internet technologies, multimedia technologies, IPTV systems and VR/AR/M technologies with special emphasis on user-centered design, user interaction modalities and designing the user experience, including gamification and flow aspects. He is a PI of several projects. He is an expert in Internet, ICT and IPTV technologies and holds several industrial certificates from CISCO, Comptia and Apple, including trainer licenses from Cisco and Apple. He is a senior member of the IEEE organization.

Peter Škrlj, University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies

Peter Škrlj graduated at University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science in 2014. His bachelor thesis focused on evaluating usability and ease of use of different navigation devices while manipulating a 3D medical image. His fields of interest vary from computer graphics, game design, internet technologies, mobile device development and computer vision. He is currently enrolled in the master’s program at University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies.

Alja Isaković, Cofound.it One, informacijske tehnologije, d.o.o.

Alja Isaković is currently UX advisor at Cofound.it One. As a member of LGM (Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Multimedia) and researcher in the field of human-computer interaction, she is currently exploring new data-gathering user interfaces and ways for monitoring user interaction in post-PC web browsers. She previously spent three years at CubeSensors, an IoT hardware startup, at which she led user experience design and research.

Matija Marolt, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science

Matija Marolt is an assistant professor with Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, where he has been working since 1995. He is head of Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Multimedia, where his research interests include music information retrieval, specifically semantic description and understanding of audio signals, retrieval and organization in music archives, and human-computer interaction.