Adaptive click-and-cross: an interaction technique for users with impaired dexterity

Abstract

Computer users with impaired dexterity face difficulties with traditional pointing methods, particularly on small, densely packed user interfaces. Past research in software-based solutions can usually be categorized as one of two approaches. They either modify the user interface to fit the users' needs or modify the user's interaction with the cursor. Each approach, however, has limitations. Modifying the user interface increases the navigation cost of some items by displacing them to other screens, while enhanced area cursors, a pointing technique for small, densely packed targets, require users to perform multiple steps to acquire a target. This study aims to minimize the costs of these two approaches through a new interaction technique, Adaptive Click-and-Cross. The technique was found to lower error rates relative to traditional pointing (8.5% vs 16.0%) with slightly faster acquisition times compared to two other techniques for modifying the user interface or cursor.