Mobile devices as multi-DOF controllers

Abstract

Conventional input devices such as the mouse and keyboard lack in intuitiveness when it comes to 3D manipulation tasks. In this paper, we explore the use of accelerometer and magnetometer equipped mobile phones as 3-DOF controllers in a 3D rotation task. We put the mobile phone up against the established standards, a mouse and a touch pen and compare their performance. Our preliminary evaluation indicates that for this type of task, with only 5 minutes of practice the mobile device is significantly faster than both the mouse and the touch pen.