Comparative Evaluation of Gesture, Voice, and Mouse Modalities Using ISO 9241-9 in Controlled and Uncontrolled Environments

Human-robot interaction requires intuitive, efficient, and affordable interfaces for real-world deployment. This work presents a cost-effective comparative study of three interaction modalities such as gesture, voice, and mouse using the ISO 9241-9 pointing task. Twenty participants performed repeated trials in both controlled indoor and uncontrolled outdoor environments. Movement time was analyzed using Fitts’ Law, while cognitive workload and usability were evaluated using NASA-TLX and the System Usability Score. Results show a significant effect of modality on performance, where mouse achieved the lowest movement time, gesture demonstrated comparable performance with no significant difference, and voice exhibited significantly higher delays. Subjective analysis indicates lower workload for mouse, while usability scores remain high across all modalities. Environmental conditions did not significantly affect performance. The findings highlight gesture as a low-cost and touch-less alternative suitable for human-robot interaction, particularly in accessibility-focused and real-world scenarios where conventional input devices are not feasible.