Stepper, Swipe, Tilt, Force

Abstract

Picking numbers is arguably the most frequently performed input task on smartwatches. This paper presents three new methods for picking numbers on smartwatches by performing directional swipes, twisting the wrist, and varying contact force on the screen. Unlike the default number picker, the proposed methods enable users to actively switch between slow-and-steady and fast-and-continuous increments and decrements during the input process. We evaluated these methods in two user studies. The first compared the new methods with the default input stepper method in both stationary and mobile settings. The second compared them for individual numeric values and values embedded in text. In both studies, swipe yielded a significantly faster input rate. Participants also found the method faster, more accurate, and the least mentally and physically demanding compared to the other methods. Accuracy rates were comparable between the methods.