Force gestures: augmented touch screen gestures using normal and tangential force

Abstract

Similar sliding gestures may have different meanings when they are performed with changing intensity. Touch screens, however, fail to properly distinguish those intensities due to their inability to sense variable pressures. Enabled by distinguishing normal and tangential forces, we explore new possibilities for gestures on a touch screen. We have implemented a pressure-sensitive prototype and have designed a set of gestures that utilize alterable forces. The gestures' feasibility has been tested through a simple experiment. Finally, we discuss the new possibility of touch interactions that are sensitive to pressure.