Touch the 3rd Dimension! Understanding Stereoscopic 3D Touchscreen Interaction

Abstract

The penetration of stereoscopic 3D (S3D) output devices is becoming widespread. S3D screens range in size from large cinema screens, to tabletop displays, TVs in living rooms, and even mobile devices are nowadays equipped with autostereoscopic 3D screens. As a consequence, the requirement for interacting with 3D content is also increasing, with “touch” being one of the dominant input methods. However, the design requirements and best practices for interaction with S3D touch screen user interfaces are only now evolving. To understand the challenges and limitations S3D technology brings to interaction design, and in particular the additional demands they place on the users of such interfaces, we present our research that considers stereoscopic touch screens of different sizes in static and mobile usage contexts. We report on perceptual, cognitive and behavioral aspects revealed by user studies and present interaction design requirements based on the findings.