Effects of Moving Speed and Phone Location on Eyes-Free Gesture Input with Mobile Devices

Using smartphones while moving is challenging and can be dangerous. Eyes-free input gestures can provide a means to use smartphones without the need for visual attention from users. In this study, we investigated the effect of different moving speeds (standing, walking, or jogging) and different locations (phone held freely in the hand, or phone placed inside a shoulder bag) on eyes-free input gestures with smartphone. Our results from 12 male participants showed gesture’s entering duration is not affected by moving speed or phone location, however, other features of gesture, such as length, height, width, area, and phone orientation, are mostly affected by moving speed or phone location. So, eyes-free gestures’ features vary significantly as the user’s environmental factors, such as moving speed or phone location, change and should be considered by designers.