Influence of augmented reality interaction on a primary task for the medical domain

Abstract

Augmented reality can deliver valuable information right where the user needs it. When used to display complex data, interaction is required to access all the information. For general use-cases, hand gestures are the go-to technique to interact in augmented reality contexts. However, in some usecases, the hands are not always available for interaction. For instance, in the operating room, it is likely that the surgeon needs to perform a primary task with the hands simultaneously. This work investigates the influence of interaction tasks using head & hand, head & foot and head & speech on a primary task and the suitability of these input modalities for two kinds of interaction tasks. Results show that interaction techniques used in a multitasking environment should always be evaluated together with a primary task as it might cause user preferences to shift.