Uploaded August 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Due to their small surfaces, wearable devices make existing techniques for touch input very challenging. This paper proposes deformation input on a tiny and soft surface as an input modality for wearable computing devices. We introduce DeformWear, tiny wearable devices that leverage single-point deformation input on various body locations. Despite the small input surface, DeformWear enables expressive and precise input using high-resolution pressure, shear, and pinch deformations. We present a first set of interaction techniques for tiny deformation-sensitive wearable devices. They enable fluid interaction in a large input space by combining multiple dimensions of deformation. We demonstrate their use in seven application examples, showing DeformWear as a standalone input device and as a companion device for smartwatches, head-mounted displays, or headphones. Results from a user study demonstrate that these tiny devices allow for precise and expressive interactions on many body locations, in standing and walking conditions.
In Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, Vol. 1, No. 2. (UbiComp 2017)
More information on hci.cs.uni-saarland.de/research/deformwear
Due to their small surfaces, wearable devices make existing techniques for touch input very challenging. This paper proposes deformation input on a tiny and soft surface as an input modality for wearable computing devices. We introduce DeformWear, tiny wearable devices that leverage single-point deformation input on various body locations. Despite the small input surface, DeformWear enables expressive and precise input using high-resolution pressure, shear, and pinch deformations. We present a first set of interaction techniques for tiny deformation-sensitive wearable devices. They enable fluid interaction in a large input space by combining multiple dimensions of deformation. We demonstrate their use in seven application examples, showing DeformWear as a standalone input device and as a companion device for smartwatches, head-mounted displays, or headphones. Results from a user study demonstrate that these tiny devices allow for precise and expressive interactions on many body locations, in standing and walking conditions.
In Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, Vol. 1, No. 2. (UbiComp 2017)
More information on hci.cs.uni-saarland.de/research/deformwear
