Watchcasting: Freehand 3D interaction with off-the-shelf smartwatch

Abstract

We describe a mid-air, watch-based 3D interaction technique called Watchcasting. The technique enables target selection and translation by mapping z-coordinate position to forearm rotation. By replicating a large display 3D selection study, we show that Watchcasting provides comparable performance to smartphone (Smartcasting) and electrical impedance myography (Myopoint) techniques. Our work demonstrates that an off-the-shelf smartwatch is a practical alternative for 3D interaction using specialized devices.