The benefit of touchless gesture control: An empirical evaluation of commercial vehicle-related use cases

Abstract

Touchless gesture control can be used for controlling various functions inside the vehicle. However, what added value can be created by touchless gesture control? Within a Wizard-of-Oz experiment in the driving simulator, we investigated the potential benefits of gesture control when switching on the cabin light, adjusting the roller blind, setting the radio volume, and calling up an information screen. For several functions, we found that in comparison to conventional controls touchless gesture control potentially increases driving safety, reduces the time required for input, and is physically less demanding. Due to its benefits, participants perceived touchless gesture control as useful and attractive, which makes touchless gesture control a serious alternative to conventional input modalities, provided that it works accurately.