SpatialPad – Air-taps for interaction in XR

Interacting with eyes and hands inputs is attractive for extended reality (XR). We explore how further human hand capabilities can become compatible with gaze for interaction. We introduce a gaze- and air-tap based interaction technique that enables mobile one-handed mid-air gestures for XR. By reimagining trackpad multi-touch gestures in 3D space as multi-air-taps based on a hand-attached control interface, our technique allows users to instantly access shortcuts to commands like object dragging, scrolling, and window switching. We present a prototype application that explores the capability for expressive input in compound object manipulation and UI navigation tasks. Our insights highlight our novel technique’s potential as a natural and efficient input method, expanding the interaction repertoire of extended reality users.