Beyond Pinch-to-Zoom: Exploring Alternative Multi-touch Gestures for Map Interaction

Interaction with virtual maps is a common task on tabletop interfaces, particularly in the context of command-andcontrol applications. In nearly all cases, widely known gestures such as pinch-to-zoom are employed. To explore alternatives and variations of this mode of interaction, we have defined five alternative gesture sets for the tasks of modifying the map view and selecting map objects in an emergency management scenario. We present the results of an explorative study conducted with user interface experts, domain experts and inexperienced randomly selected users.     «

Interaction with virtual maps is a common task on tabletop interfaces, particularly in the context of command-andcontrol applications. In nearly all cases, widely known gestures such as pinch-to-zoom are employed. To explore alternatives and variations of this mode of interaction, we have defined five alternative gesture sets for the tasks of modifying the map view and selecting map objects in an emergency management scenario. We present the results of an explorative study conducted with...     »