GESTURING THROUGH CURSORS: IMPLEMENTING MULTIPLE POINTERS IN GROUP SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Date
1992-09-01
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Abstract
The focus of this paper is on the
issues underlying the concept of gesturing. Gesturing from one human
to another appears to span all cultural boundaries; one could possibly
call it a universal means of communication. Studies of group work
have shown that gesturing makes up over 35% of all interactions.
Participants gestured to enact ideas, to signal turn-taking, to focus
the attention of the group, and to reference objects on the work
surface. Specifically, this paper explores gesturing as applied to
users of Group Support Systems. The definition of gesturing is
extended beyond simple telepointers to include 1) the use of motion as
a means of expression, and 2) movement that expresses or emphasizes an
idea, a sentiment or attitude. We address such issues as: at what
level of interaction should gesturing be supported, how large and what
shape should gesture pointers be, how should they move, what are
network and processor throughput requirements, and what effect group
size may have. Our results show that full motion computer gesturing
can be supported on PC-LAN systems for small groups. Gesturing for
medium and large groups requires the use of special techniques such as
regulating transmission rates, motion smoothing, and point & quiver
cursors. These techniques can also be applied to wide area network
implementations to reduce network traffic and latency problems.
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Computer Science